Sun Kissed
by Dragon-Overlord-Yuu
Summary: After the death of his brother, Tsukito, a gifted violinist, runs away from home to wander the world as a traveling musician. His journey takes him to Delphi, Greece where he unknowingly catches the interest of a certain sun god who used to be worshipped there.
1. Chapter 1

**Daaaaaaamn Yuu, back at it again with the fanfiction absolutely no one's gonna read**

 **This is the second fic I write where I have a character that's a violinist. You know what that means?** **Lindsey Stirling all day, everyday.** **So...**

 **Song inspiration:  
** **What Child is This - Linsdey Stirling  
** **Electric Daisy Violin - Lindsey Stirling**

* * *

 _"Anii!"_

 _A little blue-haired boy excitedly ran towards an older, quieter boy. His short little legs were going so fast, they tripped over each other and he went tumbling to the ground. The older boy immediately rushed to his side as he burst into tears._

 _"Anii, help, Anii..." Takeru desperately cried for his brother._

 _Tsukito let out a sigh, lifting Takeru off the ground, "How many times have I told you be careful? You could really hurt yourself like that."_

 _Takeru sniffled, "Sorry, Anii."_

 _"You have way too much energy for your own good."_

 _Tsukito carried Takeru into the house and sat him on the kitchen counter. He wasn't seriously hurt, except for a few bloody scrapes on his knees. But to a seven year old, it must hurt like hell. Tsukito made quick work of patching them up, having done this so many times before. "There, no more crying."_

 _"I-I'm not crying. Big kids don't cry!"_

 _A small smile graced Tsukito's face, humoring his brother's blatent lie. "Go outside and wait in the backyard, okay? I know what'll make you feel better."_

 _Takeru's face broke out into a wide grin. He knew exactly what that meant. "Okay!" He hopped off the counter and rushed out the back door. He sat on the bench under that big willow tree in their mother's garden, patiently waiting for his brother to come out. His eyes lit up when he saw him come out with a violin under his chin and bow in hand._

 _Takeru couldn't stop himself from clapping and squealing excitedly. Tsukito bowed towards his one man audience. He closed his eyes and began dragging the bow along the strings, producing a soft and gentle, but sad melody. Takeru's favorite._ _Tsukito would occasionally glance over at his little brother, who was watching his performance with wide, sparkling eyes._

 _As soon as Tsukito played the last note, Takeru was once again cheering and clapping for him. "That was amazing, Anii! You're gonna be a super famous magician!"_

 _"Musician." Tsukito corrected his brother, "And I don't know about that."_

 _"No, no. You definitely have to, Anii! Promise me, Anii." Takeru insists, holding out his pinky finger._

 _Tsukito hesitated before hooking his pinky finger with his brother's, "I promise."_

* * *

Tsukito slowly opened his eyes. A dream? No, he doesn't dream. It was more like a memory of the past. That day was so long ago, but it felt like it was just yesterday.

It was hard to believe Takeru was gone now.

All this because his mother just wanted a ride to the grocery store and some middle-aged woman in a minivan just couldn't put her phone down and sent Takeru's car crashing into a ditch. Tsukito lost his little brother and his mother over something so petty.

Takeru was only seventeen.

Since then, Tsukito just lost the inspiration to play violin anymore. It wasn't like he quit completely. He couldn't. It was the only thing that reminded him of Takeru. He couldn't just let that die along with him. It was just he couldn't play it the same way he used to. He was gonna have to apologize to Takeru for going back on that promise he made all those years ago.

It's been almost a year since their deaths and everything seemed to be falling apart around Tsukito so quickly. His father handled it terribly and decided to drown his sorrows in copious amounts of sake and gambling. As for Tsukito's older brother, Akira, he became more cold and harsh towards Tsukito, starting fights and antagonizing him constantly for usually very little reason at all. Eventually Akira moved out, leaving Tsukito alone to deal with his alcoholic father.

That was when Tsukito decided. He didn't care anymore. He took out all of his savings and his share of his grandparent's inheritance and ran. At first, he wandered all over Japan. Then he began booking flights to all over the world, remembering Takeru's wish to travel and see the world. Tsukito could at least grant his wish for him.

So far, he's been to places like France and Italy, from South Korea and the United States, to Egypt and Sweden. Wandering the globe does get a bit lonely, but Tsukito likes to think Takeru is there traveling with him.

Upon realizing he can't just burn through his savings, Tsukito often resorts to performing in the streets, since he doesn't have many options as a nineteen year old runaway. Usually, he manages getting enough money for food and a place to stay, so it works, at least.

Tsukito's current destination: Delphi, Greece.

It was a three and a half hour flight from London to Athens. It was still dark out when he left London. No wonder he was so exhausted. Tsukito lost track of time when he dozed off and wonders how much longer he's gonna have to stare at nothing but clouds.

 _Ding_.

"This is your pilot speaking, we are now just approaching the International Airport of Athens. Please buckle up your seatbelts and remain seated as we prepare to land."

Thankfully, not long.

* * *

Tsukito arrived in Athens, only carrying a small suitcase and a white violin case strapped on his back. He thought a three hour flight to Athens was bad enough, but didn't realize he now had to sit through a two hour bus ride to Delphi.

It was dawn by the time he arrived in Delphi. He could see people just beginning to open their shops and children heading to school. Tsukito had managed to get himself a room at a hotel run by a kindly old lady who was quite patient with him despite the fact he barely had a grasp of the Greek language. He should expect to stay here for a month at least.

She even gave him directions to all the sights Delphi had to offer, specifically the Temple of Apollo.

Well, since he's going to stay here for a while, he might as well go check it out. It might be fun.

* * *

Tsukito stared in awe at what used to be the Temple of Apollo.

It was hard to imagine people thousands of years ago would come here to ask for answers from the oracle and pray to the sun god, Apollo. It was mostly in shambles now. It must of been a magnificent structure a long time ago, but even the way it is now, it seemed to hold a certain charm. It's got a great view. From here, Tsukito could see valleys for miles.

And it's quiet too.

Tsukito closed his eyes and deeply inhaled the fresh air, "Isn't it amazing, Takeru?"

He reached into his bag and pulled out a Polaroid instant camera, taking multiple pictures of the surrounding scenery. The camera used to belong to Takeru, but now Tsukito used it to document all his adventures. The adventures Takeru should've been on.

Tsukito shook his head clear of his thoughts as he put away the new photos and the camera. Oh no, here he was getting all sad about his brother again. With a deep sigh, he set his violin case on the ground and popped the latches open. He hopes Apollo doesn't mind if he puts on a little show here.

He tunes his instrument for a moment before tucking it under his chin. He rested the bow on the strings for a moment, trying to figure out what to play. Then he just decides whatever, he'll figure it out as he went. As soon as he played the first note, it all came flowing together naturally. A gentle and sad song, but all too familiar. Tsukito came to realize he was subconsciously playing Takeru's song.

Losing himself in the feeling of nostalgia, he began pacing around the ruins in time with the music without even thinking about it. As he finished the song, he began to notice the sunlight shining down on him and the temple around him like a giant spotlight. Wasn't it cloudy just a while ago?

"It would seem I have appeased you, Apollo." Tsukito murmured as he looked up at the now clear blue sky. Now that he thinks about it, music is one of Apollo's elements, isn't it?

He goes to put away his violin, but finds something else in the case instead. It was a small bouquet of laurel branches, tied together with a thin piece of twine. There was no one else here but him. Who could've left it?

* * *

Apollon's golden eyes were transfixed on the human who wandered in the ruins of his temple. The sound of music had caught his attention and he looked down from Mt. Olympus to investigate. As soon as he laid eyes on the human, he was immediately charmed by his beauty. The lilac hair that framed his delicate face swayed gently in the breeze as he strided along to the rhythm of the music he was playing. He moved with such fluidity, it almost seemed like he was dancing.

"What are you swooning over this time?"

Apollon tears his gaze away from the human for a moment to see his sister, Artemis and his half-brother, Dionysus. "Sis, Dee-Dee, look! I found him! The one from my visions!"

"Oh no, not again." Artemis hides her face in her hand, shaking her head, "Apollon, you, of all people, should know you have the worst track record when it comes to relationships. Especially when there's a _human_ in the equation."

Of course he knows that. He knows that too well. He's been in love so many times, but he has been hurt more times than he could count. But his optimism along with the temptation gets the better of him every time.

"No, I've seen him in my visions so many times. It has to mean something this time, it has to!" Apollon insists, "I'm going to go down there."

"Are you seri- Dio, please talk some sense into him."

Dionysus just shrugged, "Sorry Artemis, there's nothing I can do. Besides it's too late now, he's going to jump."

"What?"

"...And he jumped."

"What?!" Artemis turned around to see the spot where her twin used to be at was now empty, "Oh, you insufferable little-"

* * *

Apollon watched the human intently from the theater that overlooked the temple. The human's stern gaze was fixed in concentration as his long, thin fingers danced along the violin's fingerboard with skilled movements. As the bow glided over the strings, a lovely tune spilled into the air. Every single note caressed Apollon's ears like a warm whisper, but at the same time, they were filled with sorrow. Apollon was completely and utterly drawn in. It was love at first sight. He had to get closer.

He floated over to the temple, landing gracefully beside the human. Apollon had made himself invisible as to not frighten the human, so he was completely unaware that he was being watched. He was even more beautiful up close. His eyes were the most gorgeous shade, like honey or liquid amber. Apollon couldn't resist the urge to reach out and touch his face, forgetting for a moment that he was invisible and his hand phased right through him. He was a bit disappointed, but he just settled for walking alongside him through the temple ruins.

Then Apollon decided he absolutely had to show his appreciation somehow. He ventures away from the temple for a bit to a laurel tree nearby and plucked off a few branches. When Apollon goes to leave his gift in the violin case, he takes note of the plastic tag attached to it.

"Tsukito Totsuka?" Apollon read the tag out loud. Was that his name? What a lovely name.

Just as the song was beginning to reach its last note, Apollon summoned his bow and arrow and shot an arrow into the sky. Almost instantaneously, the thick clouds began to dissipate and let the sunlight shine down on the temple.

Tsukito looked around the area in pure bewilderment, "It would seem I have appeased you, Apollo."

Apollon's heart began to race. This human actually acknowledged him!

Was right now a good time to show himself? Maybe he should observe for a bit longer before he does anything rash. Any mortal would be terrified if a god just showed up out of now where in front of them.

He watched as Tsukito put away the violin, smiling when he took notice of the laurel he left. Then Tsukito just sat in the silence for a bit, basking in the warm sunlight. "I don't really believe in this kind of thing, but I was sort of hoping coming here would help me somehow." He thought out loud.

Help? What does he need help with?

"I can't play the violin like I used to. I have no passion in playing anymore. Not since..." Tsukito's sentence trailed off. "I thought maybe I could find it again. But what am I thinking?" He laughs bitterly, "Asking a god that probably doesn't exist."

Tsukito may not actually believe in him, but he was still asking him for help, nonetheless. That was all Apollon needed to hear.

* * *

Tsukito went sightseeing around the rest of Delphi for the remainder of the day. Besides Apollo's sanctuary, there was one dedicated to Athena as well. The town itself was also quite nice. It was situated on a hill which required a lot a stamina to get around, but it was fun to explore despite that. And a lot of the locals here were quite friendly too.

It was evening before Tsukito noticed. The sunset in Delphi was quite lovely; it painted the whole town a warm orange color. Tsukito couldn't resist taking more photos of the town square. Another one for the scrapbook.

He went off to the side of the street so that he wasn't in anyone's way. Tsukito feels like putting on an evening performance today too. He notices a group of children watching him in interest as he takes his violin out of its case. He takes a deep breath and takes a moment to focus. He then starts playing a lively and upbeat tune. The group of children from earlier began gathering around him, eyes wide in fascination. Tsukito couldn't help but smile when they started clapping along and dancing around him, their ecstatic giggles accompanying the music.

Eventually, the small crowd grew as some of the townspeople came to watch the performance as well, but Tsukito didn't notice it until the end when he heard a booming applause erupting around him. The children tugged at his clothes, begging him for another performance until their parents came long to drag them home.

Tsukito checked the contents of his violin case. Some money, flowers, and some candy left behind by the children. He emptied the contents into his bag and replaced his violin back in its case, snapping the latches shut.

He suddenly looked up to be met with face-to-face with a small deer. Just staring at him intently.

Tsukito tilted his head to the side and the deer mimicked him. Were there even any deer in this area? And aren't they usually afraid of humans?

Seeing as the deer didn't seem to be afraid of him, Tsukito reached up to pet it, only to have his hand go right through it!

"What the?" He tried to touch it again and his hand phased through. Tsukito blinked a few times, maybe his sleep deprivation was finally getting to him. There was indeed a deer in front of him, but Tsukito noticed it was slightly transparent.

Before Tsukito's brain could process what was going on, the deer suddenly took his bag into its mouth and took off.

"Ah!" Quickly, Tsukito slung the strap of his violin case over his shoulder and ran after the deer. He chased it down the hill, through narrow alleyways, and then up the hill again. It eventually ran out of the town and Tsukito followed it, panting heavily but his determination wouldn't let him relent.

Come to think of it, Tsukito remembers this route before.

Isn't this the way to Apollo's sanctuary?

The ghost deer led him up the path leading to the Temple of Apollo. But what Tsukito found wasn't the shambled ruins from this morning. Instead there was a white marble building looming over him, perfectly intact. Tsukito swore this is where the Temple of Apollo was and this definitely wasn't here when he came the first time.

He saw the ghost deer had went inside. Tsukito didn't really like the idea that he might be trespassing, but he had to get his bag back. He climbed up the steps and peeked inside. The room inside was huge. Statues accented with gold decorated the interior and in the middle was a single fire pit. A fire was already lit despite it was still sunset.

And there was no one here, but he could hear music playing. Tsukito could not quite pinpoint what instrument it was because he's never heard anything like it before.

"Hello?" Tsukito called out, his voice echoing throughout the room.

The music stops. "Looking for this?" And awfully cheery voice replied, which startled Tsukito a bit.

He turned around to see a man standing before him, holding a black and white messenger bag in one hand. He had long golden blond hair and wore nothing but a white sheet around his waist, with a blue sash that seemed to be floating behind him. Light tattoos adorned his entire body and despite his kind demeanor, Tsukito could sense a hint of mischief in his bright gold eyes.

"Who are you...and where am I?"

"You're at my temple." The man says simply.

Tsukito shook his head "No, the temple was supposed to be destroyed. Nothing but a foundation and a few columns barely standing."

"It was never destroyed, I've just hidden it away."

"But...wait, did you say this was your temple?" Tsukito asked.

"Yes. Yes, it is."

Tsukito's thoughts scrambled his head for a few moments before piecing two and two together. "Apollo..." fell from his lips.

"I prefer to go by Apollon, but yes, that's me!" The man took Tsukito by the hand and kissed it gently, "Nice to meet you, Tsuki-Tsuki. I'm glad you're here."

At first, Tsukito refused to believe this man standing before him was the Greek god of the sun himself. He thought maybe this all has to be some sort of elaborate prank somehow. But the more Tsukito stood inside this temple with this man, the more real it seemed to him. The man certainly gave off an air that felt very different from a normal human. Like something not of this world. And there was also the fact that he knew his name. Well, _almost_ knew his name.

"Alright, lets say I give you the benefit of the doubt and you really are Apollo...or Apollon, why did you..." He gestures to the space around them, "Why have you brought me here?"

"I saw you here this morning and I heard your prayers, so I've decided to take it upon myself to answer them!" Apollon replied all too cheerfully, "Besides, I can sense you're carrying a heavy burden on your shoulders. I can tell."

"I wasn't exactly praying." Tsukito said bluntly, "And if you did hear what I said, then it's not that simple."

"That's why I'm here!" Apollon leaned in closer, so that their faces were barely touching, "I heard you playing some wonderful music here earlier and I knew was drawn to you the moment I saw you."

Drawn to him? He doesn't mean...in that way? The fact that Tsukito was about to keep up his calm demeanor despite all this was quite impressive, even to him. But at this point, he was starting to get overwhelmed.

"This is...no! No!"

Without a second thought, he snatched up his bag and ran out of the temple as fast as he could.

* * *

Tsukito sat at the desk in his hotel room, the only thing lighting it up was a dim table lamp. It was probably so late at night, like two in the morning. Constantly traveling and changing time zones is exhausting. And the fact that he often has trouble sleeping and usually spends his nights gazing up at the moon certainly did not help.

He reached into his bag and pulled out the photos he took today, along with a thick blue scrapbook. The first few pages had clippings from travel magazines a ten year old Takeru had messily cut out, listing all the places he wanted to go. The rest of the book Tsukito kept a log of all the places he went, from photos and diary entries. He glued the new photos into a blank page and wrote everything about his first day in Delphi. When he writes these entries, he tends to write them as if he's addressing them to Takeru.

Tsukito pauses as he nears the part about what he did at the end of the day.

Tsukito thought maybe this all just was some fantastical dream he's just waiting to wake up from. Then he remembers he doesn't sleep, so he doesn't dream. No matter much he wants it to be a dream, he can't deny that it wasn't.

* * *

 **It took me four days to write this first chapter this is quite impressive.**


	2. Chapter 2

**holy fuck I'm tired**

 **Song inspiration: Daisy - Stereo Dive Foundation**

* * *

Tsukito felt terrible.

Actually, terrible was an understatement.

Tsukito felt like he's been thrown into the depths of hell and back. Being an insomniac was the worst.

He's learned how to get through with it most of the time, but sometimes all his sleep deprivation hits him like a bus. Sometimes he wonders how he's even able to concentrate at all when playing the violin. Or doing anything, really.

He started vacantly at the dim screen of the computer. The words on the screen seemed to blur together as Tsukito's eyes attempted to skim through them.

He desperately needs a coffee. Like drink twice his body weight of it. And maybe every energy drink in existence all at once while he's at it. With all that caffeine, he could probably ascend to a whole new plane of existence.

But never mind that. He should probably get in as much research about Greek mythology as he could before his time on the computer is up. Then coffee.

* * *

Okay, after three cups of coffee, he should be mostly functional at least. Time to go on with the rest of the day.

Tsukito didn't have a destination in particular today, but he soon found himself back at the Temple of Apollo. It was just the same as he first saw it. Nothing but rubble.

Why did he come back here again? Tsukito didn't even know.

"I knew you'd come back. I knew it!"

Startled by the sudden voice, Tsukito turned around to face the person behind him. "Apollon...?"

There was no mistaking it, this was indeed the sun god from Greek mythology he met yesterday, except he was dressed in modern attire, his hair was much shorter, and his eyes were a bright sparkling green that no gem in the world could possibly describe them.

"You look much different than last time..."

"This is merely a form I take when walking among mortals, don't worry about it." Apollon said, "Though it's been a while since I've taken this form, I hope I don't stand out too much."

"I'm sure you're fine." Tsukito sighed, "You're a god, don't you have better things to do other than waiting around here for me or maybe following me?"

"Tsuki-Tsuki, you know I can't leave your prayers unanswered. I promised you I would help you find your muse again."

"You did no such thing."

Apollon pouts, "I did!"

"No, you did not."

"Then I'll do it now." Apollon said, "I absolutely, absolutely promise to help Tsuki-Tsuki in any way I can."

"You are so persistent...and very childish." Tsukito responds in a deadpan tone, "There's nothing you can do to help me anyway."

"Tsuki-Tsuki, you look like you could use some help right now. You look like you hadn't slept in years."

Apollon was right on the dot with that one. Tsukito doesn't know what he looks like to Apollon, but surely he looks as bad as he feels. He'd imagine he's pale as a ghost and he has very dark circles under his eyes.

"Hold still for a bit. Just for a bit, okay?"

"What are you going to...?" Apollon placed his hand on Tsukito's forehead. His hand felt very warm, then all of a sudden, Tsukito felt that warmth spread throughout his body. Tsukito felt like his tiredness went away instantly, feeling much more alert all of a sudden. "...What did you do?"

"I used my healing to help with your fatigue a bit. It's just a little pick-me-up, though it's only temporary." Apollon explained, "I could do much more, but not while I'm in this form."

Tsukito was at a loss for words for a moment, "...Uhm, thank you."

"See? I told you I can be of help to you!"

"Okay, curing me of my fatigue is one thing. Curing me of a musical creative block is a different thing." Tsukito turned around and walked up the hill towards the theater.

Apollon walked briskly behind him, trying to keep up, "But the way you play the violin, I can tell you have a talent. I can tell."

Tsukito continues hopping up the steps, not even turning around to face Apollon, "Talent means nothing if you have no passion or inspiration."

"Well, I don't think you've lost your passion. Not completely."

Tsukito stops mid-step, "What makes you say that?"

"Yesterday, when you performed for those children...you seemed so happy." Apollon said. "If you really lost your passion for playing the violin, you probably wouldn't have still been playing."

"So you were watching me."

"Yes. I've watched you ever since I heard your prayer."

"First of all, I wasn't praying to you. Second, have you considered maybe watching over me like that is a little bit creepy?" Tsukito asked, "I will say this one more time, I never asked for your help, nor is there anything you can do, anyway."

"Maybe there isn't, but I can still try! I can!"

Tsukito sighed in defeat, finally realizing there is no way he's going to change the sun god's mind. As mildly irritating as he is, Tsukito had to respect his resolve. "Be my guest, then. I don't care."

"Yay!" Tsukito suddenly felt the air knocked out of him as Apollon suddenly tackled him from behind, "I'll do my best, Tsuki-Tsuki!"

"So, what's your big plan of inspiring me?" Tsukito asked.

"Uhm...I don't really know yet. Everyone has different sources of inspiration. We just need to find yours."

Tsukito smiles bitterly, "Well, good luck with that."

* * *

It was clear Apollon was making this up as he goes, but maybe Tsukito should blame himself for going along with him. Who knew the Greek god of the sun was so energetic and hyperactive? His behavior is very reminiscent of a child's. It was a bit hard for Tsukito to keep up with him.

Apollon took him all around Delphi, the places he's already seen and some others he hadn't manage to find. They would occasionally stop in different parts of the town for a street performance.

The street performances were...something to say the least. No matter which part of town they went, people all around immediately would stop what they were doing and come to listen. People from tiny little children to the elderly, they all came to see Tsukito perform. For a moment, Tsukito remembered what it was like back then. To be able to bring joy to people with his music.

Sometimes even Apollon would sing along. He must admit, Apollon's singing voice was quite ethereal and lovely, it harmonized with the violin perfectly. Even Tsukito was charmed by it. Maybe that was part of being the god of music. Now that Tsukito thinks about it, Apollon was the god of way too many things.

* * *

Tsukito sat at the temple ruins, exhausted. Five street performances in less than twelve hours was tiring. His fingers were so numb at this point.

"Tired?" Apollon asked, pressing a cold can of soda onto Tsukito's face.

"You have no idea." Tsukito said as he took the can from Apollon's hand and chugged down the whole thing in one go.

"So, how was it? Are you feeling inspired yet? Are you?"

Tsukito shook his head, "No, not at all."

Apollon's face fell in disappointment. He just looked like a sad puppy who's just been kicked. Tsukito was being honest, but now he felt kinda bad. As a final saving throw, he quickly adds, "But, I suppose...spending the day with you, it was actually sort of fun."

It seemed to cheer the sun god right back up, "Then you can see me again right? I won't stop until you have your inspiration back!"

"You are very determined, aren't you?" Tsukito said, "I'd have to admire that."

Suddenly, Tsukito felt a dull pain in his head, like something was pounding at his skull from the inside. The incessent ringing in his ears seemed to make his headache more and more intense. He let out a cry of pain as he clutched his head.

"Tsuki-Tsuki, are you okay?"

He looked up at Apollon, his blurry vision could barely make out his worried face. "I'm...I'm fi...ne..."

His vision blacks out for a brief moment, then it flickers again.

When Tsukito came to his senses, the first thing he realizes is that he doesn't know where he is. He's probably not even anywhere near Delphi anymore. He seemed to be in some sort of ancient city somewhere, surrounded by a wall. Did he travel back in time...or something? Seeing as he met a god, that actually wouldn't be all that surprising to him.

Or maybe he was dreaming. But the scene in front of him felt way too real. People everywhere brandishing their weapons, the air was filled with the sound of people screaming in terror as they tried the flee, the smell of blood and ash that made Tsukito feel sick. He was in the middle of a war zone.

He wanted to move, to run away from the imminent danger he was suddenly in, but his entire body was paralyzed. It felt like it was entirely made of lead. He tried to scream for help, but when he opened his mouth, no sound came out. What was going on?

Suddenly, one of the soldiers came charging at him, his spear pointed straight ahead. Tsukito squeezed his eyes shut, as he couldn't do anything to avoid the attack. He prepared himself for the impact...but it never came. Opening his eyes, he sees that the soldier seemed to have run right through him as if he wasn't there at all. Instead, he impaled the enemy soldier with his spear, adding to the number of dead bodies littering the ground.

Tsukito felt his gut twisting. He wanted this to stop. He didn't want to see any more of this horrible scene in front of him.

He hears a voice calling out to him, "Tsuki-Tsuki! Tsuki-Tsuki!" He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around, suddenly to be met with Apollon's face. Tsukito could feel his heart rate go up dramatically. He scans his surroundings, to see that he was in Apollon's sanctuary.

"Apollon...you're here...I'm back...oh, Apollon, it was so horrible." Tsukito struggled to speak as he was hyperventilating at the same time.

"Hey hey, calm down for a second. Just breathe. Breathe slowly, okay?" Apollon rubs on Tsukito's back, giving him a moment to calm down, "What happened to you? You suddenly blacked out and then you started screaming."

"I think I saw something...uhm, I don't know...?"

Apollon raised an eyebrow, "You saw something? What did you see?"

"I don't even know...one moment I was with you, the next, I found myself in some place I don't know...It was some sort of battlefield. There was blood and fire everywhere...and I could hear people screaming." Tsukito said, "I felt like I was actually there, but at the same time, I wasn't. I'm probably not making any sense."

"Oh Tsuki-Tsuki, that sounds terrible! Maybe you were hallucinating? Or maybe a vision of some sort?"

Tsukito groans, "Whatever it was, it's making my head hurt."

"Maybe you should take it eas-" Before Apollon could finish that sentence, he sees Tsukito's body begin to collapse. He swooped in just in time to catch him in his arms, "Whoa!"

Apollon notices Tsukito's face was flushed a bright pink and he appeared to sweating and shivering at the same time. Apollon placed a hand on his forehead, "Tsuki-Tsuki, you're burning up!"

Tsukito smiled weakly, "Are you sure that's just not you?"

"We don't have time for this! We have to get you some place to rest as soon as possible."

Before Tsukito could say anything else, he sees Apollon's body flash a brilliant white, transforming into his god form. Apollon whistles very loudly and Tsukito could hear neighing in the distance. Suddenly, he sees a blur of white landing in front of them, startling Tsukito a bit. It was then Tsukito realizes what Apollon had called was a horse...with wings!

But considering that he's met a god, this doesn't even remotely surprise him as much as it should. Or maybe he just feels too sick to care.

He feels Apollon lift him off the ground to hoist him up on the horse's back before getting on behind him. Apollon pulls him close as they began to take flight. Feeling the wind blowing against him was oddly comforting to Tsukito. Feeling sleepy, he rests his head on Apollon's shoulder and dozes off in the comfort of his arms.

* * *

When Tsukito awoke, he really did not want to open his eyes. Even with his eyes closed he could tell that the sun outside was incredibly bright. Too bright, in fact.

But it wasn't like he could lie here and feign sleep forever.

Reluctantly, he slowly opened his eyes. Being suddenly exposed to the dazzling sunlight made them hurt a bit, it took a while for them to adjust.

He didn't know where he was. But there was probably an ocean somewhere because could he hear waves crashing in the distance and the salty sea smell was strong in the air.

As soon as he tried to set up, he was suddenly met with someone peering way too close to his face. Tsukito thought it was Apollon for a second because they looked so much like him, but realizes that this face staring back at him actually belonged to a female.

"Wooooow, he really outdone himself this time. You're pretty cute." The girl says in a vaguely teasing tone.

"E-excuse me?"

The girl doesn't say anything to him, but instead yelled, "Hey Bro, your human's awake!"

Almost immediately, Apollon burst into the room rushing over to Tsukito's side, "Tsuki-Tsuki, are you alright?! Oh my goodness, I was so worried!" He practically threw himself at Tsukito, enveloping him in a tight, crushing hug.

"You're...hurting me."

"Whoa down, Apollon, you've only known him for two days and you're already all over him? Come on, now." The girl grabbed Apollon by the shoulder and pried him off Tsukito without even trying, "Sorry about that, my brother can get a bit over-the-top sometimes, especially when he's with someone he's in love with."

"Brother?" Now that he sees them side by side, they really do look almost the same. Like they could be twins. Wait...

"Are you...Artemis?"

"Ooh, and he's smart too. I like him."

"Okay, Sis, that's enough." Apollon gently pushes her towards the door, "Tsuki-Tsuki is still recovering right now and all this noise won't do him good, so please leave us alone."

Artemis rolls her eyes, "Okaaay whatever you say, Bro." She says sarcastically. Before she could say anything else, Apollon shut the door in her face. "Rude." could be heard from the other side.

"Sorry about my sister, she...can be a bit annoying."

Tsukito shook his head, "No, it's fine. I have siblings too, I know how much of a handful they can be."

"Really? What are they like?" Apollon asked, eyes wide in fascination.

"You're very nosy, but I guess I will tell you." Tsukito sighed, "I have two brothers, one older and one younger. My older brother, Akira, well, he's a bit strict but he does try to look out for us. But then he began to hate me for some reason and now I don't talk to him anymore...I was much closer to Takeru, my younger brother. He used to always cling to me, everywhere I went. He was quite short-tempered, like he will probably fight anything and everything if I didn't stop him." Tsukito laughs a little when he says that last bit, "But he was an adventurous one. All he wanted to do in his life was to see the world. And he wanted me to become a musician. So we wound up encouraging each other to follow our dreams, as corny as that sounds...but I think the reason why I can keep up playing for so long was because of him. But now..." He shakes his head, "Sorry, I think I might wind up telling you too much."

"Don't be. Don't be sorry."

Tsukito quickly changes the subject before Apollon could ask anymore questions, "I forgot to ask, but where exactly am I?"

"Oh! I didn't know what else to do, so I brought you home to Mt. Olympus."

"Mt. Olympus? Am I even allowed here?" Tsukito asked.

Apollon looks to the side nervously, "Technically...no...but as long as Zeus doesn't know, I think you should be fine, I think." He reassures him, "Unless Artemis decides to tell on me..."

"And I thought Mt. Olympus was, well, a mountain. Why is there a beach outside?"

"Well, how do I put this...? All the major gods that live here have their own realms within Mt. Olympus, like a pocket dimension, if you will. And we can make it appear however we like, so in this case you see my realm as a sunny beach." Apollon explains. "Do you have any more questions? Because you really need your rest."

Tsukito sighed and rests his head back into the pillow, "Fine."

"You got sick so suddenly, you really scared me there, Tsuki-Tsuki. You really did."

"I get sick all the time, don't worry about it."

"You can't just tell me that and expect me to not worry! Getting sick all the time is not good, Tsuki-Tsuki, not good at all!"

"Well, it can't be helped. I have a weak immune system because of my insomnia."

Apollon tilts his head to the side, "Insomnia? What's that?"

Tsukito just stared blankly at the sun god for a moment. Did he seriously not know what it was? But then again, maybe gods didn't have illnesses and disorders like humans did. "It's a sleep disorder some humans have. It's different for everybody, but for me most of the time I don't sleep at all or can only sleep a few hours at a time. I just can't get the eight hours of sleep I'm supposed to no matter how hard I try."

"Oh...that explains why you were so tired this morning...and why you only managed to rest for only an hour." Apollon said, "If you can't sleep, then the least you can do is stay in bed while I heal you a little at a time, okay? You'll get better in no time."

Tsukito couldn't help but smile a bit. He found it strange that a god was more than willing to bring him back to his home and nurse him back to health despite the fact that he barely knew him. And that he was a mere mortal, on top of that. Tsukito had the impression gods were competely apathetic when it came to humans, toying with them as they please. But so far, Apollon has shown him nothing but kindness.

"Are you hungry? Dee-Dee...err...Dionysus brought me too many grapes again."

Tsukito nodded, "Thank you."

* * *

It took a few days for Tsukito to get better. Though it was the fastest Tsukito had recovered, probably thanks to Apollon's healing. The sun god never left his side the entire time. Typically, Tsukito would prefer some peace and quiet, but something about Apollon's company that was quite pleasing to him. Apollon was far from quiet, but not in a bad way. He would sit at Tsukito's bedside, telling him all kinds of fascinating stories. Sometimes he would get way too into it and act it out, animated hand gestures and all.

Apollon was in the middle of one of those stories when Artemis came bursting in. Apollon glares at her, mildly irritated.

"Oh, sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"Yes. Yes, you are."

"Well, sorry I'm gonna need to borrow you for a bit." Artemis grabs onto Apollon's hand and dragged him out of the room.

After a few moments, Apollon returned inside, "Tsuki-Tsuki...do you think you can be by yourself for a bit?"

"I'm an adult, of course I can." Tsukito says in a deadpan tone.

"Oh, that's great! I have some business to attend to with Zeus and the other gods, so I'm going to be gone for a bit." Apollon said, "And since you're looking a lot better, I'll take you back to Delphi tomorrow, okay?"

"Yes, of course. Do whatever you need to do. I'll be fine."

Apollon grinned, pulling Tsukito into a tight hug, "Thank you, Tsuki-Tsuki!""

* * *

It wasn't long before Tsukito began to get bored. It was so quiet without Apollon around and he didn't like it. Sighing, he hopped out of bed, his legs ached from being in bed for so long. He makes his way to the door, reaching for it hesitently. He hasn't seen much besides this room, so he decided this was a great opportunity to explore and stretch his legs a bit.

Well, it was a good idea until he got lost. He severely underestimated the size of Apollon's palace. It was a nice place, but it was ridiculously huge (at least, to Tsukito's standards, anyway). But despite being lost, wandering the halls aimlessly was an experience in itself. Almost everything was made of shiny white marble, save for the bronze statues depicting the nine muses that decorated the halls. Looking at the high ceiling above him, Tsukito takes note of the golden sun designs. God, everything here was just so aesthetically pleasing. Apollon had good taste, he had to admit.

While wandering, Tsukito came across a door that was already slightly open. He internally berates himself for being so nosy today, but the curiousity was too much. He gently pried the door open and slipped inside.

"Whoa..." He stared in awe at what he found inside. Musical instruments from all sorts of cultures and time periods were mounted on the walls. Tsukito had never been around so many instruments at once. This was like the equivalent of a candy store to a musician.

One of the larger instruments in the middle of the room caught Tsukito's attention. It was covered by a sheet, but Tsukito hopes it's what he thinks it is. He slowly removes the sheet, taking care to fold it neatly before seeing what was under it. Tsukito couldn't help but get a bit excited inside when he saw what he had uncovered. A grand piano.

When was the last time he saw one? Let alone played one? He wonders if he's still any decent at it. With that in mind, he opens it up, gently running his fingers along the keys. They sounded perfectly turned despite the fact that it looks like it's been barely touched.

Maybe one little song wouldn't hurt.

* * *

When Apollon returned and found the bed empty, he went full panic mode. For like, a second. He suddenly heard piano music coming from a different room and followed it, letting out a sigh of relief when he found Tsukito there. "Tsuki-Tsuki!"

Tsukito abruptly stops playing when he hears the sun god call his name. He didn't even react when Apollon suddenly hugged him again, "Welcome back."

"I see you found where I stash my collection."

"I apologize, I must've been intruding, haven't I?"

"No no, it's okay. You were bedridden for so long, I can't particularly blame you." Apollon sat on the bench next to Tsukito, "So you know how to play the piano too? Do you?"

"Just a bit. I'm much better with the violin, but I can play the piano rather decently." Tsukito said. He couldn't help but be slightly amused by the look on Apollon's face. "I can see by that look, you really want to hear it."

"Of course! I want to listen to any music you play, Tsuki-Tsuki!"

Tsukito lets out a faint little laugh, "Okay, here it goes."

He began to play again. He starts off playing slowly, still rather uncertain about his skills. It's been a long time, after all. But when he sees the look of pure admiration on Apollon's face, it was almost encouraging to him.

"Tearing the silence to shreds, our time has come to cross paths. It's a meeting we were fated to have." Tsukito absentmindedly began to sing, "And so, you, with regret showing in your grieving eyes, wore your sorrow and bloomed beautifully."

Apollon's heart fluttered in his chest. Tsukito's singing voice was beautiful! It was soft and gentle like the summer breeze, but as clear as bells. The more Apollon listened, he found himself falling in love with Tsukito even more. He didn't think that was possible until now. It was like he was captivated all over again.

"A flower, dissolving into someone's life. Hey, can you see it too? Surely..." Tsukito pauses for a moment to catch his breath and sang the next part with much more confidence, "Let's paint over the all the mistakes that we've made. Go back to the starting line again and again until we succeed. Let's paint a tomorrow different from the past with our hopes and dreams." His fingers on the keys slowed as he sang the last line, "I never said goodbye. And I never will."

He snaps out of his trance-like state. He was just so caught up in the music, he forgot Apollon was next to him watching...and listening.

"That was wonderful, Tsuki-Tsuki! I..." Apollon begins to worry as he notices the mildy flustered look on Tsukito's face, "Oh, your face is heating up again. Is it another fever? Is it?"

Tsukito slowly inches away from him, "I-I'm fine, I just..." He turned his face away.

"Could it be...you're embarrassed? Is that it?"

"M-maybe..."

Apollon chuckled, "Oh Tsuki-Tsuki, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. You were amazing. Really."

"Honestly, I have never met anyone who has ever praised me this much. I'm nothing special compared to the god of music himself."

"Tsuki-Tsuki, you are special." Apollon takes Tsukito's hands into his own, "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

Tsukito just blinks in surprise. The sudden question caught him off guard. it rendered him speechless for a moment. But then he remembers what Apollon said to him when they first met. This confirms his suspicions about what he meant when he said he was drawn to him the moment he saw.

"No, I don't." Tsukito answered.

Seeing the crestfallen look on Apollon's face, Tsukito could exactly pinpoint the moment his heart shattered into pieces. He remembers the mythology surrounding Apollon's love life. It wasn't a very good one and now maybe he might be another addition to the long list. But he had to set Apollon straight, at least, before he does anything rash.

"Love at first sight doesn't exist. Love takes time and love takes work. You have to at least get to know the other person and we barely know anything about each other." Tsukito said, "I hope you don't take this too harshly, but I know when you rush into things, it usually doesn't end very well. I think you should take the time to know the other person and then decide if you still feel the same way you do now."

All of a sudden everything made sense to him now, "I can see now why you wanted to help me so badly. If you still want to, that's fine. If you don't, that's also fine. Your choice." He sighed, "Just please take me back to Delphi tomorrow, at least."

He gets up and left the room, leaving Apollon alone with his thoughts.

* * *

 **Since KamiAso doesn't really elaborate much on the gods' realms, I had to take some liberties and do my own fucking world-building which probably doesn't make any goddamn sense. Whatever :/**


	3. Chapter 3

**So KamiAso Infinite just dropped. *vibrates excitedly* MY BODY IS READY**

 **Song inspiration: Oyosute Aina - Takagi Masakatsu**

* * *

Tsukito stood at the shore of the beach, staring off into the distant ocean before him.

"Tsuki-Tsuki." He hears Apollon call his name, "Are you ready to return to Delphi?"

Tsukito picks up his violin case and pulled the strap over his shoulder, "Yes."

He turns towards Apollon, noting the sad smile on his face. After what happened yesterday, Tsukito had expected Apollon to go into a rage upon being rejected and punish him somehow. And he was completely prepared for that. He'd rather have that happen than be roped into a romantic relationship with the god out of pity or fear.

But much to his surprise, Apollon didn't do anything. He kept his distance for the rest of the day, only checking on him every once in a while to see if he needs anything. And he still remained kind and hospitable the whole time, showing no hint of malice at all.

"Very well, then." Apollon puts his fingers in his mouth and let out a whistle. As if on cue, the flying horse from before appeared by Apollon's side.

Now that Tsukito notices, it was huge! Much bigger than any other horse he has seen in his life. He was mildly intimidated by its large size, but nevertheless, Tsukito smiled up at it. "Hello again, Pegasus."

"You can pet him if you want. He's very friendly." Apollon said.

Taking up on Apollon's offer, he reaches for its mane, running his fingers through it gently. In response, it nudges its nose against Tsukito's face. He hears Apollon giggle as he climbs on the pegasus' back, "I think he likes you." He stretched a hand towards Tsukito to help pull him up. "Hang on tight, okay?"

Suddenly, Tsukito found himself flying through the clouds. It was freezing seeing that they were up at a higher altitude and the wind beating against them certainly did not help. The cold bit through Tsukito's thin clothes fairly easily, but Apollon didn't seem to be phased by it at all. Tsukito wonders how Apollon manages since he wears little to nothing.

Now that he notices, he could feel how abnormally warm Apollon was. It was like hugging a space heater...or something like that. Tsukito didn't know why, but this was oddly comforting to him.

He hopes Apollon doesn't notice as he inches a little closer to him in the most low-key way he could manage.

* * *

"Thank you." Tsukito said as Apollon dropped him off at his sanctuary.

"Are you going to be okay? Are you?"

Tsukito nodded, "Yes, I'm sure I'll be fine."

"I'm glad. Take care of yourself, okay?"

Tsukito just stands where awkwardly, rocking on his heels, "So...see you around then?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Apollon let out a sigh, "I don't know."

"Fair enough." Tsukito replied, "Apollon, I'm...I'm sorry about what happened the day before."

Apollon shook his head, "No no, don't be. I'm actually a little glad that you were honest. Besides, that was the nicest way anyone's ever turned me down."

"Well, I do try to let people down gently." Tsukito said.

"That's a good quality to have, I think." Apollon lets out a small laugh, "Well, bye."

Before Tsukito could say anything else, Apollon flies off into the sky. He could only watch until the sun god disappears into the dense grey clouds.

* * *

It started raining when he got back to the hotel. Tsukito was sort of glad he made it in time or else the weather would have a bad effect on his poor violin.

Tsukito just lay in bed, his eyes intently fixed in the little cracks in the ceiling. It was the first moment of peace Tsukito has had in a while and he was gonna relish in it. He closed his eyes and focused all his attention on the sound of rain pattering against the window.

But after a while, the silence was starting to get uncomfortable. His fingers twitched slightly, as they always did when he suddenly felt the itching need to have violin strings on them. But this time, he also felt something else. Something he hadn't felt in a long time.

He actually feels like writing something.

Tsukito hurriedly jumps out of bed, snatching up the violin case he had placed by the door and then rushed back to the bed again. He hopped onto it, sitting cross-legged as he popped the latches open. Taking out the violin, and putting it aside, he found an old journal he had crammed into one of the compartments and forgot about for years. The paperback cover was slightly crumpled and the pages had turned yellow with age. It's been a long time since Tsukito ever touched it, let alone written anything. He wonders what the songs he wrote were like back then...?

As soon as he opens to the first few pages, he sees exactly why he doesn't remember them. Most of the pages were either torn or scribbled out with black marker, not a single note or lyric discernable. After several pages of this, he reaches the final page he wrote in. The handwritting was barely legible and getting more increasingly sloppy as it continued towards the end of the page.

" _TAKERU IS GONE TAKERU IS GONE_ " over and over, filling up the entire two pages.

Well, it was nice to remember that he was an absolute mess after Takeru's death, but he certainly did not have the emotional energy to revisit that time. Tsukito tore out all of the ruined pages and crumpled them into a huge ball, tossing them across the room and into the trash can. Got that squared away.

He picked up his violin and played a few notes, trying to see what worked. But after a few tries, he feels that he's getting onto something. He put the violin down for a moment so that he could write this down. Then it continued from there.

An hour and a half later, Tsukito found that he'd only manage to fill the entirety of one page. It seemed like all of a sudden, the spontaneous surge of inspiration just disappeared. But still, he was surprised that he was able to compose anything at all. Maybe hanging out with Apollon was actually doing him some good.

But he feels that he couldn't stop here now. He really had something. Tsukito began pacing around the room, hoping maybe it might come back to him. But after a few minutes of doing that...nothing. Oh well, it wasn't like he was in a rush anyway. Sighing, he sat back down on the bed and skimmed over what he had wrote, what little of the song he wrote played in his head over and over.

But soon, the song in his head became a sharp ringing sound. There was a dull pain shooting through his head and he was starting to feel more increasingly dizzy. Everything went white before suddenly gruesome visions of warfare and death and fire flashed before his eyes.

Oh no...This again? Why was this happening? The first time, Tsukito just shrugged it off as a simple fever dream. But it doesn't seem that way now and it terrified him.

Tsukito curled up into a ball and covered his ears as if it would cease the ringing in his ears, but he could still hear the screams of agony and suffering. He tried to slow his breathing and remain calm, but it was hard with these frightening hallucinations.

He didn't have to suffer for long, as this time the visions were brief, only flashing before his eyes for a few moments. Suddenly, Tsukito found himself in his hotel room, now staring at a page of music notes...and blood?

Tsukito groans. He still had that pounding headache, but at the same time felt a little lightheaded. God, he needed to take care of himself better. But where did the blood drips on the page come from...?

It didn't take Tsukito very long to realize as he lifted a hand towards his face and wiped his nose. Seeing the blood on his fingers confirmed his suspicions.

He knew he got sick rather often, but that never included nosebleeds. Unless...it had something to do with the visions he'd been seeing. Did having random visions of war and bloodshed come with spontaneous nosebleeds now?

Whatever was going on, this is probably not the time to dwell on it. Just overthinking it made his head hurt even more. He should probably go into the bathroom and clean himself up and maybe lie down afterwards. That sounded like a much better idea right now.

Maybe he could ask Apollon about it...that is, if he still wanted anything to do with him now.

* * *

After a few dull rainy days, Tsukito hadn't heard or seen anything from Apollon. He figured that maybe he would give him some sort of sign from above, but if that was the case, Tsukito would've totally missed it.

It was just as he thought. Apollon won't help him anymore.

Well, that short amount of time was fun while it lasted, but maybe he should just spend his month in Delphi as normally as he could and maybe by the time he moves on to the next destination, he would just forget about all this mess with gods and magic.

Tsukito sat in the far back corner of a little cafe, just absentmindedly staring out the window. He just spent an hour reading over his song again and again. No matter what he did, he just couldn't figure out how to continue it. Does it even matter at this point?

Letting out a frustrated sigh, he slides the journal aside and reaches for his coffee. To be honest, he doesn't really like the stuff, but it was a wonder how he's become so dependent on it.

"Excuse me, is it okay if I sit here?" Someone asks him while he was in mid-sip.

Tsukito puts down his coffee, "Sure, go ahead..." His sentence trails off as he faces the person who was speaking to him. He just stared in disbelief at the all too familiar golden blond hair and green eyes.

"Hello, again!"

"What are you doing here?"

Apollon takes a seat across from Tsukito, "I came to see you, what else would I be doing?"

"I figured you'd get tired of me." Tsukito said, "Or forgot to place some sort of terrible curse on me and came here to do the deed."

Apollon shook his head, "No no, I would never do that to you. Never!"

"But you could if you wanted to."

"No. I won't do that."

"How surprising. I thought you would. Especially after I rejected you and all." Tsukito says nonchalantly, taking another sip of his coffee.

"If it was a couple of centuries ago, then yes, maybe. But I've made up my mind a long time ago that I wasn't going to be that person anymore." Apollon replied, "Besides, I thought about what you said and...you're right, actually. I do have a bad habit of rushing into things. No wonder why all those girls tried to run away from me." He laughs sheepishly.

"Uh-huh...and?"

"After much consideration, I've decided...I still want you help you. As a friend." Apollon declared, grinning from ear to ear, "Besides, I promised you. And I never go back on my word."

Tsukito raised an eyebrow, "Very well, if that's what you want, then I suppose it's fine."

Apollon bounced in his seat, super ecstatic with Tsukito's answer. "I won't let you down this time!"

"I know. You told me that the first time." Tsukito says in a hushed tone, trying to calm him down. "I'm glad you're enthusiastic, but don't too excited now. People are staring."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Sorry." Apollon whispered, sinking back into his seat. "No violin today?"

"It's been raining lately, so I've decided not to bring it outside, otherwise it would've affected the sound drastically."

Apollon's gaze went to Tsukito's journal, "Ooh, what do you have there?"

"A song." Tsukito states simply, sliding the journal across the table for Apollon to see.

"Wow! You wrote this?"

"Yes. I just suddenly had this surge of inspiration and wound up composing that. But it's not much."

"But it's something! It's something, at least!" Apollon said, "You just need to keep going."

Tsukito sighed, "That's the problem. I can't. I've tried for days, but I just can't seem to get it to come back to me."

"That's why I'm here...what are those stains on the page?"

"Blood." Tsukito responds nonchalantly despite the look of horror growing on Apollon's face, "I just suddenly got a nosebleed and it ended up dripping onto the page."

"Oh no, were you okay?! Were you?"

"I was fine for the most part...but I think I had one of those visions again. I thought maybe you might know something about it."

Apollon's eyes widened, "Really? What was it this time?"

"The same thing. War, violence, bloodshed, all those lovely things. It was very brief this time though. And I didn't feel like I was actually there, it was just like, a movie flashing before my eyes. Sorry, I'm not making any sense; this probably just all surreal to you."

"You're looking at the god of prophesies here. Visions are kind of my thing."

"Has anyone ever told you you are the god of way too many things?"

Apollon laughs, "Well, I kinda noticed a long time ago. But hey, I have to take up all these responsibilities because no one else is going to." He joked, "But anyway, visions and prophecies are a very finnicky thing. It's difficult to explain, but generally, they're meant to predict the future, but I think you already knew that. Most of the time they're really vague and plus, the future changes all the time, so it's unreliable, but at the same time, it is. And there's limitations to it too, like for example, I can't see my own future, but I can with everybody else's."

"Okay, so what does that have to do with me?"

"That, I don't know yet. But what I do know that every vision you have, no matter how small, has to be important somehow, especially with repeated visions of the same thing. So whatever you're seeing definitely has to mean something." Apollon continues to explain, "But that you have to figure out on your own."

"One question: is it possible to have visions of the past?" Tsukito asked.

"Yes, actually, but that happens very rarely. Is that what you think you're seeing?"

"Maybe..."

"What have you been seeing? Describe as much as you can in full detail."

"Well the first time, I was in a city of some sort, but not like a modern city with skyscrapers and things, but like an ancient city and it was burning to the ground. Civilians were screaming as they tried to escape and I think there were a few people violently coughing up blood and dying in the streets, but mostly there were soldiers with bows and arrows and spears and swords just brutally dismembering each other...what else? Oh, I remember there was a huge wall around the whole city, but it was starting to crumble."

"And? Anything else?"

Tsukito shook his head, "No, that's all I remember."

"Hmm...I do find it strange that you are even having visions in the first place. I mean it is possible for mortals to have the gift of prophecy but only when it's given to them by a god. And they usually shouldn't cause you any physical pain..."

"Then did you...?"

"No, no, I didn't do anything, I swear! I absolutely swear!" Apollon insists, "If we don't know where it's coming from, then there's nothing I can do to make it stop." When he saw the disheartened look on Tsukito's face, Apollon immediately felt terrible. "But that doesn't mean we can't try figuring it out. Maybe you're having these visions for a reason. If you keep having them, then you'll have to piece them together somehow."

Tsukito sighed, rubbing his forehead, "It'd be nice if I was not having them. I don't think my mental health could take it."

Apollon reached across the table, placing his hand on top of Tsukito's "Well, if you need to, you can always come to me, okay?" He says with a reassuring smile.

Tsukito couldn't help but smile back. Somehow...he feels like he can depend on Apollon a little bit. "Thank you."

"So about that song you were writing."

"Hmm? What about it?"

"Go get your violin and meet me at the temple." Apollon glances out the window, "I'll take care of the rain for you."

* * *

It was still pouring while Tsukito walked back to the hotel. It was only a ten minute walk, but the rain had completely soaked through his clothes.

He was shivering by the time he got back to his room. He quickly changes out of his wet clothes and by the time he was done, he could see the sun shining brightly through the window.

' _Wow, he actually went and did it_.'

He slung the strap of his violin case over his shoulder before heading out again. The air still felt sort of moist and sticky as it had just rained. Tsukito looks up at the sky and sees the gray clouds already beginning to recede behind the hills, leaving a clear blue sky. It was like Apollon had chased them away...maybe that was exactly what he did.

Tsukito was on his way towards Apollon's sanctuary when something in one of the shop windows had caught his eye. He couldn't read the sign outside, but he could easily assume that it was a bakery. Among all the freshly baked bread and cakes in the display window, Tsukito was more interested in the delicious-looking orange tart that sat in the center of it all. The vibrantly colored orange slices were arranged in a way that sort of resembled the sun. Tsukito could feel his mouth water just by looking at it. And he wasn't even that fond of sweets.

Maybe Apollon could wait just a few more minutes.

* * *

When he reached Apollon's temple, he was kind of expecting that Apollon would bring the original building into existence again. Turns out he was right. Go figure.

As Tsukito walked up the steps to the temple, he could hear that strange music from before, accompanied by Apollon's singing. The sun god didn't seem to notice Tsukito walking in.

Tsukito would've called out to him to get his attention, but his song was just so beautiful, he couldn't bring himself to disturb him. So Tsukito just stood off to the side and listened as Apollon continued plucking the strings on his lyre, completely unaware of his audience.

After a while, Apollon stops, "Oh yeah, I forgot about Tsuki-Tsuki."

When he stood up and turned around, his heart nearly jumped out his chest when he saw Tsukito standing there, "Tsuki-Tsuki, when did you get here?!"

"A while ago, actually." Tsukito answered bluntly, "I just didn't want to disturb you."

Apollon let out a sigh, "Please don't scare me like that, please."

"I apologize."

"But you were taking a while and I was starting to get worried."

"Oh yes, about that...I decided to make a stop somewhere." Tsukito presented Apollon with a white box, "I got you a treat. An offering of sorts, I suppose."

In an instant, Apollon's golden eyes glittered with joy, "Thank you! Thank you so much, Tsuki-Tsuki!" He said, enveloping Tsukito in a bone-crushing hug.

"Hey, be careful, you're going to ruin the tart." Tsukito scolds him as if he were a child.

"Oh, is that what it is?" Apollon asked, "It smells like oranges."

"That's because it is orange."

That seemed to make Apollon even more happier, "Really?!"

"Judging from that reaction, you must really like oranges." Tsukito said, "Now, are you going to sit down and eat it or not? It's going to get cold."

"Oh yes, of course, of course! And we should go over that song you wrote while we're at it."

Tsukito sighed, setting his violin case on the floor, "Alright, let's get to work."

First, Apollon had asked Tsukito to play it on his violin so that he could mimic it on his lyre, then he began to add on a few more notes to it and let Tsukito build it up from there. After many hours and many scrapped ideas, Tsukito felt like he had something solid, even though Apollon often had to give him little bits to play off of, so he couldn't really take all the credit for it.

"Good work, Tsuki-Tsuki! You deserve a break."

Tsukito placed his violin back into its case, "Good, because my fingers are starting to hurt. Do you feel like eating that tart now?"

"Oh no, we forgot. We totally forgot about it. Now it's gone cold."

"That's okay, I'm sure it's still good cold, but I mean you could always try heating it up somehow since you're the god of the sun."

"Oh yea, I didn't think of that! Wait a second, please." Apollon picked up the box and held it in his hands for a moment. Soon Tsukito could see steam coming out from a small opening in the box, "Alright, it's done! It's all done!"

Tsukito just stares at the box, just completely dumbfounded, "I was joking, but okay."

Apollon couldn't contain his excitement as he opened the box. "Wow, it's so pretty! It looks like the sun! It looks like the sun, doesn't it?"

"That's what I thought too. It reminded me of you, so I decided to get it." Tsukito chuckled in amusement. He couldn't help it, Apollon was just being too bubbly and adorable.

"Then I happily accept!" Apollon said, helping himself to a slice and biting into it, "It's good! It's so good!"

"Do gods even eat?" Tsukito asked.

"We do, but we don't have to eat constantly like humans do. We're fine just eating once a month." Apollon held up his slice of the tart to Tsukito's face, "Here Tsuki-Tsuki, try it."

"No thank you, I'm fine." Tsukito politely refuses.

"You're a human and you probably hadn't eaten all day. You need it more than me. Come on, please?"

"I can feed myself."

But Apollon was still being persistent, "Say 'ahh.'" He gives Tsukito this look with wide, sparkly eyes and a huge grin.

Tsukito huffed in exhasperation. When Apollon makes that face, it's hard to say no. "Fine, you win."

He tries to take a bite of the tart as quickly as he could. Somehow, the thought of being fed by someone else was kinda embarrassing to him. But Apollon seemed to see no problem with it, "Is it good, Tsuki-Tsuki? Is it good?"

"Hmm, it's not bad. I think it's way too sweet." Tsukito replied with a shrug, "That means more for you, I guess."

For a second, Apollon was a bit disappointed that Tsukito didn't like it, but was still extremely happy that he recieved a gift from him. But he had a feeling Tsukito just brought it out of pity for rejecting his love confession. Apollon hopes that's not the case. He couldn't stop himself from blurting out, "Hey Tsuki-Tsuki, did you bring me a gift because you felt sorry for me?"

For a moment, Tsukito was taken aback by the question, but responded by shaking his head. "No, not at all. I'm from Japan, so being polite and nice gestures is kind of a habit. Since you still wanted to be my friend and went out of your way to continue helping me, so I felt I had to thank you somehow."

"Oh, I see. Sorry, I guess I shouldn't have assumed that you were that kind of person." Apollon said, "...and now I'm making this awkward, so...uhh...you feel like working on that song together? Maybe we could do a duet. Okay, maybe I should stop rambling."

"Apollon, slow down." Tsukito replied, "I would love to. Come on." He reached for his violin again, noticing how intently Apollon was staring at him as he did so. "Uhm...is something wrong?"

Apollon shook his head, "No, I was just noticing how delicately you handle the violin. Sorry, that just sounded really weird just now."

Tsukito raised an eyebrow, finding Apollon's random observation quite strange, "Well, violins are very fragile, so you do have to be careful with them. But I do try to be especially careful with this one since...it was a gift from my younger brother."

"Really?"

"Yes, when I was thirteen, he accidently broke my previous one and he felt so bad about it, he used up everything he managed to save up just to get me a new one for my birthday, even though he really wanted to save up for a new bicycle." Tsukito couldn't help but laugh at that memory. "So I just wound up using it ever since."

"You two must really love each other, huh?"

Tsukito smiles fondly, "Of course we do." He shakes his head clear of his thoughts as he felt tears just beginning to well up in his eyes, "Actually, you know what? How about I teach you how to play the violin? Then in return, you can teach me how to play the lyre, if that's okay with you." Tsukito eyed the golden lyre Apollon was holding, "I've never seen one before, so I've been quite fascinated about it."

"Of course I'll teach you, but isn't going to be night time soon? Don't you have to get back soon? Don't you?"

"It seems you forgot that I don't really sleep." Tsukito replied, "It's alright, I have all night."

* * *

 **So I started watching Bungou Stray Dogs (great show so far btw) The main reason why I started it was because Tsukito's voice actor also voices Atsushi and I'm just here like,**

 **Guys, I can't believe Tsukito became a furry.**


	4. Chapter 4

**More fun filler shit ayyyy**

 **Song Inspiration:**

 **Rainbow Veins - Owl City**

 **Master of Tides - Lindsey Stirling**

* * *

Tsukito patiently waits on the steps of the temple. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if someone were to come across a huge white marble building in place of the ruins. Come to think of it, it doesn't seem like anyone's even noticed at all...

He could go into the whole "this temple exists in its own pocket dimension only he can access" theory. At this point, he doesn't think he can distinguish reality anymore.

"Tsuki-Tsuki!"

Tsukito suddenly felt the air in his lungs knocked out of him as a much heavier body jumps onto him, "Hello, Apollon."

He's gotten so used to Apollon's intimate way of greeting him, he doesn't even have much of a reaction to it anymore. The sun god's body was just so pleasantly warm, so Tsukito's not really complaining.

"Hey Tsuki-Tsuki, feel like going somewhere today?"

"Define somewhere." Tsukito said.

"I thought you might want to take a day trip somewhere outside of Delphi." Apollon replied, "Anywhere you want to go is fine. Anywhere is fine."

"Anywhere I want, huh...?" Tsukito thought about it for a while. A very lengthy while. Soon, he began pacing back and forth.

"We don't have to if you don't want to, you know. We could just-"

"Ah!"

"What? What is it, Tsuki-Tsuki?" Apollon asked.

"...Rhodes. I would like to go to Rhodes."

Apollon blinked, surprised at Tsukito's answer, "Rhodes?"

"Is that not possible?" Tsukito asked.

"No, I mean that's fine, but may I ask why?"

Tsukito shrugged, "I thought the ocean might be nice."

"Alright, if that's where you want to go, then I have no objections!" Apollon said cheerfully, "Hang on tight, okay?"

"Wha-"

Suddenly, Apollon scooped up Tsukito into his arms and took off into the air. Tsukito could feel his gut twist, alarmed by suddenly finding himself flying through the air.

"...Aren't I heavy?"

Apollon shook his head, "No, quite the opposite, actually. Have you been eating well? You're so light!"

Tsukito frowned, poking the god's forehead, "That's none of your business."

He looked down as the scenery below him passed him by. He could see mountains and valleys for miles and the ocassional town they flew over. Soon he could see the bustling city of Athens through the clouds. Tsukito was absolutely breathtaken by the view. They flew over the ocean and finally, they could see the island of Rhodes.

"Wow, that was insettlingly fast."

"Well, it would've been 18 hours if you were if it any other way. Wouldn't it be much faster by flying? Wouldn't it?" Apollon lands somewhere isolated ouside of the town's entrance and set Tsukito back onto the ground, "There we go!"

Tsukito's legs wobbled slightly as they tried to adjust to being on the ground again. He sees a bright white light shining from behind him, but only for a brief moment. When Tsukito turned around, he sees Apollon had changed into his human form, "Alright, let's go!" Apollon said enthusiastically as he took Tsukito by the hand.

"Hey, you're not going to forget about me, are you?" A higher-pitched voice asked from behind them.

Apollon let out a loud sigh of exasperation as he turned around to face his sister.

Tsukito, not sensing Apollon's annoyance, greets the goddess politely, "Oh hello again, Artemis."

Artemis doesn't even acknowledge that Tsukito was even there, "Man, maintaining a human form is a lot of work, how do you even do it all the time, Apollon?"

"What are you doing here?" Apollon asks, narrowing his eyes at her.

Artemis pouts, walking over to cling onto Apollon's arm. "What's wrong with me wanting to spend the day with my adorable little brother?"

Tsukito notices that even if Artemis is more level-headed than her brother, they both seem to be childish to some degree. Maybe that comes with being twins.

"I was going to spend it with Tsuki-Tsuki, though."

"Well, I'm sure he won't mind if I join you, right?" Artemis glanced at Tsukito expectantly.

Tsukito freezes from suddenly being put in the spotlight all of a sudden. What should he say? Of course, he wouldn't mind if Artemis hung out with them, but looking at Apollon, it seems like he really doesn't want his sister around at all. After a few moments of silence, Tsukito just decided to go with his gut. "It's okay, I don't mind."

"Yay! Do you hear that, Apollon? He said I could come!" Artemis exclaims excitedly, slightly bouncing in place, "It's been a long time since I've been to Rhodes. It looks like it's changed a lot in a few centuries."

Tsukito was slightly amused by Artemis' enthusiasm. Very much like her brother. When he glanced at Apollon, the god's face just has the kicked puppy look of utter betrayal. "I'm sorry." Tsukito mouthed to him. He felt sort of bad going against Apollon, but maybe he could see that hanging out with his sister might not seem so bad.

* * *

Tsukito found Rhodes to be quite a delightful place. The salty sea air and the sound of waves crashing on the shore and seagulls crying was just so calming. It was the picture perfect seaside town.

Tsukito would enjoy it if the tension wasn't so thick. The whole time they were walking around the harbor, no one has said a single word.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all...

But to be honest, Tsukito thought maybe he could be better friends with Artemis this way, but he supposes he was wrong. But he still wants to try somehow.

"You know, we could visit the old town if you want..." Tsukito suggests, trying to lighten to mood somehow, "I would like to see the castle there, if that's not too much to ask."

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Apollon piped up, rushing to Tsukito's side, "Let's go!"

But before they could get anywhere, Artemis quickly shoves Tsukito to the side and squeezes in the space between him and Apollon. She glanced at Tsukito briefly with a smug little grin before playfully sticking out her tongue at him. It was supposed to be a malicious gesture, but Tsukito, being the passive person he is, didn't really think anything of it.

The tension seemed to go away almost immediately when they got to the old town. It was a well preserved medieval city with a moat and a stone wall enclosing the entire area and a huge old-fashioned castle towering over all of it. Tsukito felt like he had stepped back in time when the knights were still around. He knew Takeru would've loved this sort of thing.

Apollon watched Tsukito as they wandered the castle, noticing the faint glitter of fascination and wonder in his amber eyes as he explored every nook and cranny he could. He found it quite endearing. Honestly, who allowed this mortal to be this cute?

"Wow, I can't believe this place is still standing." Artemis pipes up, instantly shattering the mood.

"Well yes, this place was meant to last. And also people made efforts to restore it over the centuries. It certainly helped in preserving it." Tsukito said.

"Pfft, nerd."

"Yes, that's me." Tsukito responds bluntly.

Suddenly, a loud grumbling noise filled the room. The twins averted their gaze to the only person in the room who could make that noise.

"Tsuki-Tsuki, did you eat anything at all today?"

Tsukito turned away, a faint blush highlighting his face, "...N-no."

"Ah, we can't have that. We can't. You need to take better care of yourself." Apollon said in a worried tone.

Tsukito just shrugged, "I'll be fine, I don't really have much interest in food anyway."

"Not only do you not sleep, you can't skip eating on top of that too." Apollon kept insisting, "Come on, let's look for something to eat."

Tsukito let out a quiet, breathy laugh, "What are you, my mother?"

* * *

They all sat in a cafe they found nearby. Tsukito ended up eating very little in the end, but he does appreciate Apollon worrying about him.

When Tsukito glanced over at the twins who were sitting across the table from him. They seemed to be really focused for some reason...until Tsukito realized they were listening in on the conversation of two elderly women sitting at the table next to them. They were speaking Greek so Tsukito couldn't possibly keep up, let alone understand what they were talking about. Not that he was interested in other people's conversations anyway.

"Uhm...isn't it rude to eavesdrop like that?" He asked.

"Shhh, shut up." Artemis replied.

"What about their conversation is so interesting to you?"

"They're talking about...something strange that has been going on around here."

Tsukito raised an eyebrow, "Define something strange?"

"Fishing boats mysteriously being sunk. People just throwing themselves into the sea for no reason, I think. Apparently this has been going on in Rhodes for months." Apollon explained, his facial expression grim.

"That is quite strange...do you think it has something to do with-"

Artemis cuts him off, "What do you know? Even if you could figure out what's going on here, there's nothing you could do about it."

"I...I was just thinking..." Tsukito let out a sigh. He's had enough. He doesn't like starting unnecessary drama, but there's only so much his resolve could take.

But it appeared Apollon had the same idea. Before Tsukito could call her out, Apollon got up from his seat and grab Artemis by the shoulders, "Hey, Sis, can I talk to you for a minute, can I?"

* * *

They've been gone for a while...Tsukito hopes that something hadn't happened to them.

It wasn't hard for Tsukito to find them. He figured they'd be at the Acropolis. It's dedicated to them, after all. As Tsukito climbed up the hill, he could hear them getting into a heated argument. He just hopes this doesn't lead to something more drastic. Like them going into god mode and proceeding to tear up the island...or something like that.

"Artemis, why are you being so mean to Tsuki-Tsuki?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Artemis replied in a coy sing-song tone.

"I am not in the mood for this, Artemis."

Artemis sighed, "Well, I'm sorry for trying to look out for you, okay?"

"Why? I'm not in any danger last time I checked."

"Well if you keep hanging out with that _human_ , you will be." Artemis said, her voice dripping with venom when she said the word 'human', "What's going to happen when he hurts you again like all those others? He's just going to reject you, right?"

"He already did."

"What? And you didn't throw a hissy fit this time? Wow..I'm genuinely amazed."

"Come on, Sis, give Tsuki-Tsuki the benefit of the doubt. He's very nice, really." Apollon said, "He said he still wanted to be my friend and I'm fine with that. I'm fine with it. He's different, Artemis."

"You said that about the last girl, Apollon." Tsukito could hear Artemis' tone turned solemn all of a sudden. "But for how long, though? Is he still going to want to be your friend when he finds out what you did?"

There was a long moment of hesitation before Apollon answered, "He won't...he won't find out. I won't tell him."

Deciding he's heard enough, Tsukito started climbing down the hill to wait for them to come down. He supposes after hearing that, he couldn't really stay angry at Artemis anymore. She was just trying to look out for her brother. Tsukito can respect that.

Just before he reached the bottom, Tsukito suddenly heard singing coming from somewhere. He knows it's not Apollon. This sounded way too different. While it was just as haunting and beautiful, it sounded much more sinister.

As the sickeningly sweet melody echoed throughout the area, he could practically feel a burning hot ache flood his entire body. His head spins as the singing continued. No matter how hard he tried to hold on to his conscious he could just feel it slipping away from him. Tsukito's body began to move on its own, not following his will. He walked back up towards the cliffs again. The voice was beckoning him to.

* * *

"Okay, you know what? Fine, This is your own problem and I'll let you be for now, but don't come crying to me when he inevitably breaks your heart." Artemis said, hoping to end this argument for good.

Apollon pouts, crossing his arms, "Good, because I don't need your help." He turned on his heel to to go back down to meet up with Tsukito, but instead he sees him already there climbing up towards him. "Oh hey, Tsuki-Tsuki sorry to make you wait..." Apollon's sentence trailed off as Tsukito walks right past him, "Tsuki-Tsuki, where are you going?"

As Apollon followed him, he noticed Tsukito's eyes were completely blank, like he was totally out of it, "Hey, come on Tsuki-Tsuki, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

Tsukito just shoved Apollon aside and continued walking towards the edge of the cliff. He dropped his violin case on the ground before he stood on top of the wall that blocked off the cliff. "What are you-" Apollon was cut off by a gasp he let out as Tsukito just let himself fall off the edge. "TSUKI-TSUKI!"

Without hesitation, Apollon jumped after him. As he was desperately tried to reach for Tsukito, he forces himself to change into his god form. As he watched Tsukito continue plunging towards the ocean, Apollon felt himself panic more and more. ' _Please, just a little more..._ '

As if by some miracle, Apollon had managed to reach Tsukito's hand. He grasped it firmly and pulled Tsukito towards him, just as he was a few feet above the ocean.

"Oh, thank Gaia. I thought I lost you, Tsuki-Tsuki." Apollon choked back a sob as he held Tsukito tightly, "Don't ever do that again."

"I have to go..." Tsukito murmured quietly.

"Where? Where do you have to go?"

Tsukito slowly raised his hand and pointed towards the ocean, "I have to go to her...she's calling me..."

"Tsuki-Tsuki, what are you saying? Snap out of it, please!" Apollon gently shook Tsukito.

"Uhhh, Apollon we have a bigger problem here." Artemis' voice called out from the top of the cliff.

Apollon flew back up there with Tsukito in tow. "What's going on? What's happening?"

Artemis pointed to where the hill began to slope down. There were several other people walking towards the top, all of them had the same blank stare in their eyes, "Do you hear that weird singing?"

"Uhm...yes. But where is it coming from?" Apollon asked.

"Sirens."

"What?"

"Sirens. Did you not hear me the first time?" Artemis repeats again, mildly irritated.

"But I thought they didn't exist anymore."

"They didn't go extinct, idiot. They just remained dormant for a couple centuries and now decided to come out of hiding to have fun and wreak havoc again." Artemis said, "That explains all these fishing boats being capsized and all those mysterious suicides around here."

"So what do we do? What should we do?" Apollon looked down at Tsukito, who was weakly trying to escape his grasp.

"I say we do nothing. It's not our problem, anyway."

"But what about those people?" Apollon asked, gesturing towards the people which are now trudging closer to the edge of the cliff.

"What about them?"

Apollon grew mildly distressed at Artemis' apathy for the humans' lives, "We can't just let them die! We have to save them!"

"And how to you propose you do that? Even if you were to find the sirens, it would be too late to save those people."

"I don't know, but I have to do something!" Apollon suddenly felt Tsukito move in his arms, "Tsuki-Tsuki? Tsuki-Tsuki!"

At the sound of his name, Tsukito rapidly blinked a few times, "What...? What was I doing?" He asked, still mildly disoriented.

"Tsuki-Tsuki, are you here? Are you alright? How many fingers am I holding up?" Apollon was panicking, his sentences came out as a rapid, jumbled mess.

"Slow down, I feel fine, and three." Tsukito said, "What happened?"

"Sirens." Apollon answered.

Tsukito raised an eyebrow, "Sirens?"

"Yes, they've been terrorizing this island for a while. They almost got you too." Apollon replied, "We... _I'm_ trying to find them but those people are in danger too and I don't know what to do."

Tsukito glances at what Apollon was referring to. They're all lined up at the edge of the cliff, as it waiting their turn to jump. He could still hear the sirens' song ringing in his ears and it made his head hurt. If only he could block it out somehow...

He gasps, "...I have an idea." Tsukito rushes over to where he dropped his violin case and took out his violin, "I'll buy you some time. You go find the sirens."

Apollon smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Tsuki-Tsuki."

"Now go!" Tsukito urged Apollon as he began to play.

"You know, I welcome you to come with me, if you know, you care enough." Apollon said to Artemis.

The goddess just rolled her eyes, sighing in exhasperation, "Fine. Only because you won't stop bothering me about for days if I didn't." She changed into her god form and took off into the distance with Apollon.

Tsukito, meanwhile, tried to focus all his attention to his music. He managed to drown out the sirens' song and lose himself in his own music, but he wasn't sure if it was the same for the others. He can try, though. He doesn't want to just sit there and let the gods handle everything. Tsukito would say he's doing a decent job somewhat. No one jumped off the edge so far. Instead they just sort of stood there, like they were waiting for an order to jump.

Feeling a sudden surge of determination, he tried to put more energy into his playing as the song became more intense. His fingers frantically danced along the strings.

Tsukito could hear the sirens try to overpower him, but he knew they're going to tire themselves out eventually. He'll just need to hold out until then.

* * *

"Well, it wasn't too hard to find them. You would think they would bother covering up their tracks after all these years, but hmm guess not." Artemis taunts the sirens cowering in their presence. She summons her bow and arrow. "Let's just get this over with."

But Apollon was already ahead of her. He swiftly shot them all with one arrow each, disintergrating them into nothing but a pile of feathers.

"Aww, what was the point of me coming with you then?"

"They tried to hurt Tsuki-Tsuki. I guess I let my anger get the best of me again. I'll let you have the kill next time, I promise."

"You better." Artemis said, "That was probably too easy anyway, so I'm not even mad."

From a distance, they could hear violin music over the sound of ocean waves, "Wow, that kid is still playing? How long can he go for?"

Just as Artemis finished that sentence, Apollon was already flying back towards the island. "Well, I guess this is where I take my leave then."

* * *

When Apollon reached the Acropolis, he found Tsukito was still indeed playing, but he was starting to look weary. The other people were now lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious and most likely to wake up having no memory of what happened.

"Tsuki-Tsuki, you can stop now." Apollon told Tsukito.

Upon hearing Apollon's voice, Tsukito immediately stops playing, "Did we do it?"

Apollon smiled reassuringly, "Yeah, we did it. You did great. Are you okay?"

Tsukito took a moment to put his violin away before answering, "Well generally, yes, but I've been continuously playing intensely for a while so..." He showed Apollon his hands. All of his fingers were calloused and covered in tiny bleeding cuts.

"Oh no...it's okay, it's nothing I can't fix." Apollon said cheerfully. He takes both of Tsukito's hands into his own and held them tightly. Tsukito could feel that familiar warmth replace the ache in his fingers. This feeling was strangely calming to Tsukito, he didn't want it to end. When Apollon releases his hands, Tsukito's fingers were perfectly healed, as if he didn't do anything to them at all.

"Thank you."

"We should probably go before someone comes."

"Good idea." Tsukito agreed, "Feel like walking on the beach?"

Apollon nodded, "Sure!"

"But, I think you should, uh..."

Apollon looks down on himself, realizing he was still in his god form, "Oh, whoops!"

* * *

They sky was slowly darkening as Apollon and Tsukito walked along the beach. It was quite late, so they pretty much had the whole beach to themselves.

"Hey, Tsuki-Tsuki."

"Yes?"

"I...I would like to apologize for how Artemis treated you. This was supposed to be something fun for you, but I suppose that all went south."

Tsukito shook his head, "It's fine, Apollon. I still had fun, I mean, minus the whole situation with the sirens. I'm not particularly angry at Artemis either. After all, I did sort of steal her brother away from her."

"But still, that's no excuse for how she acted towards you. It's no excuse."

"She just wanted to spend time with you. That's completely normal. I will tell you this, Apollon: you should cherish the time you spend with your sibling while you still have the chance." Tsukito said, "Besides, I honestly think it's better than hanging around little old me."

"Awww, but I like little old you. I think you're really neat, Tsuki-Tsuki!"

A small smiled graced Tsukito's face, "Thank you, I'm flattered...I also think you're pretty neat. And Artemis too. Speaking of which, where is she?"

"Maybe she finally got bored and went home." Apollon said nonchalantly, "So you feel like going back to Delphi now?"

"Not yet." Tsukito sat down in the sand, "Just let me have this moment for peace and quiet. You can join me if you like."

And Apollon did. He sat down beside Tsukito. Neither of them said anything to each other. They just looked up at starry sky above them as the calming sound of ocean waves filled the air.

Tsukito suddenly shivered at the cool ocean breeze, "It's rather chilly, isn't it?"

"Really? I don't feel it at all."

"Oh that's right, you produce your own body heat." Tsukito replied bluntly, "Then please don't mind me."

He scooted a little closer to Apollon until their shoulders were touching.

"Tsuki-Tsuki, if you wanted a hug, you could've just asked." Apollon snaked his arm around Tsukito's waist and pulled him a little bit closer to him. Tsukito just closed his eyes and lost himself in the relaxing sound of waves crashing on the shore and the feeling of Apollon's warmth.

In that one moment, Tsukito felt like everything was fine.

* * *

 **So I think I've decided this chapter will last about 9-10 chapters so this is the last chapter of useless filler shit before we kickstart the romance plot, I promise.**


	5. Chapter 5

**It's short, I apologize (or should I say APOLLOgize) but at least I have some semblence of plot going on here.**

 **Song Inspiration:**

 **There's Too Much Love - Belle & Sebastian**

 **Symposium Magarum - Kajiura Yuki**

* * *

"Tsuki-Tsuki, let's go to Athens!"

"We literally just got back from Rhodes a few days ago. Why do you want to go?"

"Because there's the Hellenic Festival held there every summer, so I thought it might be perfect!" Apollon exclaimed, "There's going to be musical performances and theater. Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Can't you go by yourself?" Tsukito asked. "I'm not really in the mood to take the two hour trip to Athens."

"You seem to have forgotten I'm a god and I can fly." Apollon said, "And I figured it's more fun to go with someone."

"Then ask Artemis to go with you."

Apollon pouts, "She hates it when I bother her when she's hunting. And you remember what happened last time." He makes the wide-eyed puppy look again, "Come on, pleeeeease."

"You always make if hard for me to say no." Tsukito sighed, "Alright, you win. I'll go."

* * *

The festival was quite lively. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people were bustling through the busy streets of Athens, hoping to witness the variety of performances the festival had to offer.

"Didn't you say you attended this festival every year? Doesn't it get boring?" Tsukito asked.

Apollon shook his head, "Nope! There's always something different every year. Like there's some performances from other countries and there's also Ancient Greek theater performances too."

"They still perform Ancient Greek plays?"

"Yep! Surprisingly, they're quite close to the originals, though they do take some artistic liberties." Apollon explained, "I could talk about it all day, but that wouldn't be as exciting as seeing the festival for yourself. Come on!"

He took Tsukito by the hand and dragged him through the crowd with such excitement and energy. Tsukito honestly didn't think Apollon could get any more excited and energetic than he usually was. Apparently he was wrong.

"Slow down, Apollon. We have all day."

"That's not enough time. I have to show you everything. Absolutely everything."

"E-everything?" Tsukito was entirely sure that wasn't even physically possible, but for some reason he feels like Apollon would try to make that work somehow.

He dragged Tsukito all over the place, usually back and forth between the theater where the event was held at and some other place in Athens. There were quite a few stands outside the theater. Some were theater companies advertising their program and some were craftsmen displaying and selling their work.

"Hmm? Tsuki-Tsuki?" Apollon searches the crowd when he realizes Tsukito was no longer following him, "Where are you? Where did you go?"

He didn't have to panic for long as he found Tsukito a few stands back, staring intently at what was displayed there. Apollon walked over to Tsukito's side to see what had caught his interest.

"Woow, how pretty! It's really pretty!" Apollon exclaimed as he laid eyes on the all the violins Tsukito was looking at. They were all so intricately decorated with colorful designs of flowers and lace patterns.

"Yes, they are." Tsukito agreed. He may not haved shared Apollon's enthusiasm, but his expression was all in his eyes. Dark amber eyes sparkled with child-like fascination. "I cannot even imagine how much effort and love that was put into these. I wish I could be that passionate."

Apollon pat Tsukito on the back comfortingly, "You're getting there, Tsuki-Tsuki. Slowly, but you're getting there. So don't beat yourself up for it."

Tsukito looked up at him, a faint smile adorning his face, "Thank you." He goes back to staring longingly at the decorated violins in the glass case, "It'd be nice to have a violin like this. This alone is a work of art in itself, you know."

He reached into his bag for Takeru's camera, "Apollon, can you ask if it's okay if I took a picture?"

Apollon nodded and tried to get the attention of the old man running the stand. After a very brief conversation in Greek, he turns back to Tsukito, "He says it's fine. It's fine. Just as long you're not selling the photos or something."

"Of course not." Tsukito went ahead and took a few photos. Afterwards, Apollon thanked the old man and they went off on their way.

"You must really like taking pictures, huh? You had that camera out a lot when we went to Rhodes." Apollon said.

"It's another habit of mine. I like to document my travels."

"Why?"

Tsukito hesitates for a brief moment before answering, "...no reason in particular."

Thankfully, Apollon didn't pry any more than that.

"Hey Tsuki-Tsuki, do you want to start heading back towards the theater? I think there's an orchestra performing soon. That kinda more of your thing, right? Am I right?" Apollon asked.

Tsukito nodded, "Sure."

What he wasn't expecting was Apollon suddenly grabbing onto his hand, "The crowd is pretty big. I don't want to almost lose you again."

Tsukito didn't know why, but despite the fact Apollon had held his hand so many times, his didn't know why this time it suddenly made him feel strange. He's just gotten so familiar with the feeling of Apollon's warm hands on his, it put him at ease somehow. Just Apollon's presence in general put Tsukito at ease, really.

Subconsciously, Tsukito moved his hand so that he could easily intertwine his fingers with Apollon's, hoping the latter wouldn't think anything of it. He timidly spared Apollon a glance, too curious about his reaction. But much to Tsukito's surprise and relief, he just carrried on without even noticing. Or maybe he did notice and just didn't mind it.

They went into the theater again to see all the remaining performances of the day. The first one they saw was an orchestra performance like Apollon said, which Tsukito ended up enjoying quite a bit. Next was an opera, then another short play. It was so late at night by the time they left the theater.

"They were all so good this year! I can't decide which one I liked the most!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Tsukito replied.

"I should be saying that to you. I did bring you here, after all." Apollon said, "Did you like it, Tsuki-Tsuki? Did you like it?"

Tsukito nodded, "Yes, I enjoyed it quite a lot, actually. I'm kind of glad I listened to you when you begged me to come."

Suddenly the sound of music caught both of their attentions. Apollon grabbed onto Tsukito's hand again, "Come on, let's see where that music is coming from."

Without much protest, Tsukito let Apollon drag him through the streets, following the source of the music. It wasn't long before they ended up in a little square where a band of street performers were playing. The place had strings of little tiny lights hanging, giving off a simple, but romantic atmosphere. Some people were there dancing along to the music that was just reaching its end.

"That looks like fun! Hey Tsuki-Tsuki, let's dance. Let's dance together!"

Tsukito shook his head, "I'd rather not. I can't dance."

"There's no such thing. Anyone can dance! There's just good and bad dancers." Apollon said.

"Well, in that case I'm definitely the latter."

"That shouldn't stop you. Have more confidence in yourself, Tsuki-Tsuki!" The sun god gave Tsukito a patient smile, "I'll be the one guiding you, so don't worry. Don't worry about it."

Before Tsukito could protest any more, Apollon had already taken his hand and gripped it tightly. Apollon's other hand held Tsukito's waist, pulling his body closer to his own. Tsukito could himself getting flustered as the heat rises up to his face. Part of him wanted to pull away, but mostly to spare himself the embarrassment at his lack of dancing skills. But being so close to Apollon like this, he didn't mind it at all.

" _I could hang about and burn my fingers  
I've been hanging out here waiting for something to start  
You think I'm faultless to a 'T'  
My manner set impeccably  
But underneath I am the same as you_

 _I could dance all night like I'm a soul boy  
But you know I'd rather drag myself across the dance floor  
I feel like dancing on my own  
Where no one knows me and where I  
Can cause offense just by the way I look._"

Tsukito stepped awkwardly, trying to keep up with the music and Apollon, "I'm...really no good at this."

"Then, let's try this." Apollon tightens his grip on Tsukito's waist and lifted him up slightly so that Tsukito's feet were propped up on top of his. "Better? Is this better?"

"I-I suppose..." Tsukito was so alarmingly close to Apollon's face, he found himself staring into nothing but his eyes. Now that he notices, Apollon's eyes in his human form were like, _ridiculously_ green. A bunch of analogies scrambled in his head as he tried to think of something to compare them to. Emeralds? No. Peridots? Still no. Grass? Tsukito doesn't think Apollon would appreciate being associated with plants.

Despite Tsukito not being able to find words to describe Apollon's eyes, he just found himself getting lost in them. He thought about breaking eye contact as he was probably making things awkward, but he just couldn't help himself. They were gorgeous.

"Tsuki-Tsuki, are you okay?" Apollon asked, bringing Tsukito back to his senses.

Tsukito shook his head clear of his thoughts, "I'm fine...just spacing out."

"Well, you're too stiff. Try relaxing a little, okay?"

Tsukito takes a deep breath and relaxed his body like Apollon told him to. Apollon was the one leading this dance, all Tsukito had to do was follow his movements.

" _And when I come to blows_

 _When I am numbering my foes  
Just hope that you are on my side, my dear_

 _But it's best to finish as it started  
With my face head down just staring at the brown Formica  
It's safer not to look around  
I can't hide my feelings from you now  
There's too much love to go around these days_"

Apollon hummed along as they swayed in time with the music. Now Tsukito had gotten comfortable enough that he actually found this kind of fun. He didn't want this to stop so soon. Seeing Tsukito finally enjoying himself, Apollon couldn't help but smile. He started to giggle like a child as he let go of Tsukito's waist to twirl him around a few times before pulling him back towards him.

" _You say I've got another face  
That's not a fault of mine these days  
I'm brutal, honest and afraid of you  
It's safer not to look around  
There's no hiding my feelings from you now  
There's too much love to go around these days_

 _You say I've got another face  
That's not a fault of mine these days  
I'm honest, brutal and afraid of you_"

Even as the song reached its end, neither of them let go of each other. Their gaze lingered on each other's, not breaking eye contact for a long time. Suddenly, Tsukito notices Apollon's expression change to being mildly horrified.

"Whoa, Tsuki-Tsuki, your nose..."

"Huh?" Tsukito reached for his face, feeling something warm and wet drip on his fingers, "Oh no..."

As his head started spinning, he was suddenly seeing two Apollons. No matter how hard he tried to fight it, Apollon's face disappears from his vision altogether.

"Tsuki-Tsuki? Tsuki-Tsuki!" Apollon called out to him, but it was no use. Tsukito was already in a unresponsive, vegetive state at the moment and Apollon doesn't know for how long. The least he could do was take him away to somewhere safe.

With that in mind, Apollon scooped up Tsukito in his arms and wisked him away from the crowd.

* * *

Tsukito found himself standing in a sunny meadow somewhere. Where was he? When and how did he get here?

Tsukito thought carefully, trying to reorganize the thoughts going through his head, ' _Let's see...I was at the festival with Apollon, we danced...then my nose started bleeding and I felt dizzy...Oh no, is this another vision?_ '

But he supposes he should be somewhat relieved that it wasn't of a gruesome and bloody war this time. Instead it was a peaceful scenery. Apollon said all visions had some sort of importance, but Tsukito had no idea what could this possibly mean nor how it could pertain to him.

The sound of humming pulled him out of his thoughts and caught his attention. He turned around to find the source of the humming to find a beautiful woman just strolling around the meadow, not having a care in the world.

Tsukito heard rustling noises coming from the forest nearby where a strange man emerged. He watched as the man cautiously approached the woman, who didn't seem to be aware of his presence at all. Should Tsukito warn her?

Before Tsukito could go through with that thought, the man forcibly grabbed the woman and made a run for it. The woman screamed for someone to help, but there was no one in close proximity who could've hear her.

"Leave her alone!" Tsukito yelled chasing after them. But just as he lept forward the stop them, he just phased right through them and stumbled to the ground. Tsukito could do nothing but helplessly watch as the man continued running away with the woman that was still crying for someone to save her.

As Tsukito pulled himself up, the scene flickered before him before changing completely. He was back in the same battlefield again. Well, looks like he spoke too soon.

Seeing this again was the last thing he wanted, but he had a more important mission at hand. Try to figure out what these visions were telling him. As he looked around the area around him, something among the brutal warfare going on had caught his attention.

"Artemis?" There was no mistaking it. The long golden braid and deer antlers protruding from her head were far too familiar to Tsukito.

He decides to follow her. Tsukito didn't pay much mind to the chaos going on around him, knowing that he couldn't be harmed from it. He followed past Artemis all the way towards the outer reaches of the wall where she flew her way towards the top of it.

Tsukito stared with wide eyes when he saw who was standing in the wall alongside her. There he was, scattering showers of black arrows all over the place, his eyes cold and hateful. Apollon.

"No..." He gasped in disbelief. Tsukito didn't want to believe it, but it was right there in his face.

Just before the vision flickered one last time, something had caught Tsukito's eye.

A giant wooden horse.

* * *

When Tsukito came to his senses, he was suprisingly calm. It seemed having extremely violent visions don't phase him anymore. Or maybe he was just couldn't stop thinking about seeing Apollon in it that he just forgot to be scared.

"Tsuki-Tsuki? Can you hear me?" He could hear Apollon's voice call out to him. The sun god was leaning over his bedside, a worried expression on his face.

"Yes, I can hear you." Tsukito responded.

Apollon let out a sigh of relief, "Thank Gaia, I was getting worried because you were zoned out for hours. I-I didn't know what I'd do."

Tsukito looked around the room, recognizing it immediately despite only being here once. "You brought me to Mt. Olympus again?"

"Well, I didn't know where else to take you so...yeah." Apollon said, "Did you have another vision again? Did you?"

"...yes."

"What was it of?"

Tsukito froze in his spot. What does he tell him? He had so many things to ask Apollon. Why was he there? What was he doing? What was he hiding?

But Tsukito couldn't bring himself to utter any of those words. "C-can we talk about it later? My head still sort of hurts."

"Of course! Tell me anytime you feel ready." Apollon replied, smiling at him.

Tsukito thought maybe the vision was lying to him. This sweet and bubbly god before him couldn't possibly be the cruel, vengeful one he saw in his vision...right?

* * *

 **Okay, you motherfuckers get two chapters in one go, be grateful. Well, the reason why I waited to post them both because I just felt that the previous chapter was just lackluster useless filler, so I wrote the kickstart of the plot to make up for it.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Three chapters in two weeks? Damn, your girl is on a fucking roll?**

 **this chapter is just one huge mood whiplash, I swear to god.**

 **Song Inspiration:**

 **Valder Fields - Tamas Wells**

 **Demons - Imagine Dragons**

* * *

Tsukito could not stop thinking about that vision. He finally understood that they all had to do with Apollon all this time, but he had to hear it from the sun god himself. What actually happened?

He had spent several days with Apollon on Mt. Olympus. Tsukito had several opportunities to ask him about it, but he always freezes up and changes the subject at the last minute. He has to get the truth from Apollon, though, so it's not like he can keep putting it off forever.

"Tsuki-Tsuki, is there something wrong? Is there?" Apollon asked, pulling Tsukito out of his thoughts.

"Not really..." Tsukito said, shaking his head.

"Are you sure? You've been looking like you have a lot on your mind. If you need to someone to talk to, I'll listen. I will."

"It's nothing importrant, really." Tsukito looks down at the ground. Suddenly the waves lapping at his feet were very interesting.

Much to Tsukito's relief, Apollon didn't pry anymore and instead changed the subject. "Today's a nice day, isn't it? It's the perfect day for a swim!"

"Well, I will have to pass. I didn't bring a swimsuit, sadly."

"Who said you needed one?" Apollon asked

Before Tsukito knew it, what little clothes Apollon wore were lying on the sand and he was already running out towards the ocean, "Oh my god...isn't it too early in the morning for this?" Tsukito sighed in exasperation. As much as he knows he probably shouldn't, he couldn't stop himself from staring when Apollon's shamelessly naked right in front of him. It wasn't like it was particularly bad thing, though. Apollon was built like an athlete: tall, muscular...and ridiculously attractive all of a sudden. How is Tsukito just noticing all of this now of all times?

When Apollon turns to look at him, Tsukito turned his face away as quickly as he could, trying to play it off like he wasn't ogling Apollon's naked body just now.

"Are you sure you don't want to join me? The water's niiice." Apollon said in a singsong tone.

Tsukito had to gather all the willpower he had to not have his eyes trail down lower where they probably shouldn't be. "I'm...good."

Apollon pouts, "Suit yourself."

As Apollon goes off swimming somewhere, Tsukito just hopped over some rocks before taking a seat on one that was just above the water. He was so amazed how crystal clear the water was. He could easily watch a little crab the scuttle along the ocean floor. But it wasn't long before the crab was obscured by the big golden blob swimming by. Apollon's face broke through the surface of the water, staring straight into Tsukito's eyes, "Hi." He said with a cheeky grin.

"Got tired already?" Tsukito notices as Apollon swam up to him, his golden eyes had a mischievous glint in them. He cautiously backs away, "...That impish look scares me."

Before Tsukito could get any far, Apollon grabbed him by the ankles and dragged him into the water with a huge splash. The sun god bursts out laughing as Tsukito slowly emerged from the water. Even though his eyes were hidden by his sopping wet bangs, Apollon could tell Tsukito was glaring at him from behind them.

"I'm sorry, Tsuki-Tsuki." Apollon struggled to form words through his laughter, "You looked like a giant whale falling in!"

Tsukito brushed his hair out of his face, "You ballsy little-" He tried to chase after Apollon in the water, but his wet clothes didn't allow him to go very fast. "Why don't you stay still?"

"Nooo!" Apollon giggles, desperately trying to swim away.

Tsukito climbed back onto the rock, feeling slightly weighed down by his clothes. "Great, these were the only clothes I had with me. What am I supposed to do now?"

"Take them off and leave them to dry?" Apollon said like it was the most obvious thing.

"Okay, but have you considered...I only have one set of clothes on me right now?"

"Swim with me in the meantime, then. I'm getting kinda lonely."

Tsukito just sighed in defeat, "I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" He pulled his shirt off and wringed as much water as he could out of it before laying it neatly on the rock. Just as he rests his fingers on the waistband of his pants, he stops, "Don't look...please."

After making sure Apollon turned around and his eyes covered, Tsukito peeled off his pants along with his underwear. He laid them out in the sun and got into the water as fast as he could. The water was cold as soon as Tsukito got in, but his blush alone pretty much warmed up his entire body in an instant.

"Your face is so red, Tsuki-Tsuki!" Apollon squishes Tsukito's cheeks between his hands, "Are you really that embarrassed?"

"Whose fault do you think that is?" Tsukito asks in a deadpan tone.

Apollon couldn't help but laugh, "Come on, Tsuki-Tsuki, lighten up a little. The water's covering most of you anyway, if that's what you're worried about."

"That does not make me feel any better."

"Aww...then what will?"

"This." Tsukito placed his hands on top of Apollon's head and pushed him down as hard as he could, submerging him underwater for a few moments.

Apollon came up coughing and gasping for air, "Hey, no fair!"

"You attacked me when I had my guard down. It only makes sense to retaliate accordingly."

Even though Tsukito's expression didn't show it, Apollon somehow knew he was gloating on the inside. "Oh yeah? Well, how about this?" With a wave of his hand, Apollon sent a huge splash of water in Tsukito's direction which hit him square in the face.

Puffing his cheeks, Tsukito gets him back with an even bigger splash. He doesn't usually get this petty, but he just couldn't let Apollon have this one. This quickly escalated into an all-out splash war. The sound of their laughter filled the air, drowning out the sound of the ocean waves.

"I'm pretty sure I won..." Apollon said, panting and out of breath.

"No, I think I did."

"Are you challenging me to a rematch, then?"

"I'd rather not. I'm tired now." Tsukito leaned back into the water until he was just floating on it. Apollon does the same thing, but takes hold of Tsukito's hand so they didn't float away from each other. The floated in silence for a while, just staring up at the fluffy white clouds moving against the brilliant blue sky.

Then Apollon spoke up, "You know, I think this is the first time I've ever heard you laugh."

"I think that's the first time I laughed in years." Tsukito replied, "I think you're growing on me."

"Why are you saying that like it's a bad thing? When I first met you, you just looked so sad and lost. If you ask me, you've come a long way in almost a month." Apollon said, "If you don't mind me asking, why did you come to Delphi in the first place?"

"I don't know, honestly. I just wander around the world and go anywhere I please, I guess."

"Wow, that sounds fun! You must've seen a lot of places!"

"Yes, I did." Tsukito replied, "And it is fun, though traveling by yourself does get a little lonely."

"Don't you ever miss your family? Won't they worry about you?" Apollon asked.

Tsukito sighed, "I don't know...I don't even think they even care that I'm gone. Not that I care, either."

"What about your brother?"

"Akira probably hates m-"

"No, I mean the younger one." Apollon clarified.

"He's...not with me anymore."

"Did he leave? Like you?" Apollon asked, clearly not catching the implication Tsukito had meant. But Tsukito was sort of relieved he didn't.

"...I suppose you could say that." Tsukito said.

* * *

"My clothes are still wet..." Tsukito sighed in disappointment, gathering his still damp clothes.

"I think I might have something you can wear."

"Okay, but I'm not walking back to your palace completely naked."

"Alright, then I'll carry you there."

Before Tsukito could say anything, Apollon lifts him off the ground with no effort at all. "There, now you don't have to walk."

"Walking is not the problem though..." Sure, he was embarrassed, but Tsukito didn't resist as Apollon carried him all the way back to his palace.

"Wait here, okay? Please wait here." Apollon said as he dropped Tsukito onto the bed.

As soon as Apollon left the room, Tsukito took the sheets off the bed and wrapped them around himself.

Apollon returned pretty quickly, carrying a neatly folded pile of clothes, "Here you go!"

"Oh, thank you..." Tsukito went through the pile, finding a pair of grey knee-length pants, a sash of some sort, and a huge sheet of linen cloth, "...What exactly am I supposed to do with this?"

"You don't know how to put it on?" Apollon asked.

"Uhm...the pants, I can figure out. Everything else...no."

Apollon gasped as he came to realize, "Oh right, people don't just wrap themselves with cloth anymore."

"No, we do not..."

"Alright, stand up. Stand up, please." Apollon said, "I'll show you how to put it on."

"Hold on." Tsukito quickly slips on the pants, now making this situation forty percent less awkward. But still, having Apollon dress him was more unnecessarily tense than it should be. The few times Apollon's fingers would brush against his skin, Tsukito would jump at the slightest touch. Why did this make him so nervous all of a sudden?

Unnecessary tension aside, putting it on was a lot simpler than Tsukito had expected. Who knew all it literally took was a few pieces of cloth and pins? He doesn't know if the Ancient Greeks were geniuses or just plain lazy. Maybe both.

"Wow Tsuki-Tsuki, you look wonderful!" Apollon exclaimed when he finished helping Tsukito put on the clothes.

"Really? Do you think it suits me?" It was comfortable, he'll give it that. So nice and light. Maybe Tsukito should dress like this more often.

"Yeah! Maybe we could put a laurel crown on your head and it'd be perfect!"

Tsukito could feel his heart flutter at the compliment. First Apollon just barely touches him, and now this? Apollon is always hugging and praising Tsukito and he barely reacts. What was going on with him?

Fortunately this painfully awkward moment didn't last too long as Apollon suddenly piped up, "Ah! I almost forgot I promised the Muses I would meet with them today!"

Tsukito sighed in relief, "Then don't let me stop you."

"Are you sure? Are you gonna be okay?" Apollon asked.

"When am I ever not okay?" Tsukito replied, "Go. I'll...just wait here."

Apollon smiled, "I'll try to make it quick, okay? Don't wander off anywhere."

"Don't worry about me. It's not like I can leave your realm without you, anyway." Tsukito said.

"That's true." Apollon leaned over and gave Tsukito a quick peck on the cheek, "I'll see you later."

It was such a casual gesture to Apollon, but it made Tsukito immensely flustered all of a sudden. He was glad Apollon left before he noticed.

* * *

Tsukito had snuck into Apollon's music room again. Was it really sneaking in? Apollon did give him permission to go anywhere in his realm, after all.

He was hoping playing the piano might help pass the time and distract him, but thoughts of that vision just kept bothering him no matter how hard he tried to push them into the back of his mind.

"Apollon?" Tsukito heard a voice echo throughout the halls.

Tsukito's fingers froze over the piano keys as he heard footsteps approaching. The door slowly creaked open and a man with spiky red hair poked his head in. He glanced around the room for a bit before making eye contact with Tsukito, "Oh, it's just you, Tsukito."

"...how do you know my name?" Tsukito asked.

The man smiled at Tsukito, "You would not believe how much Apollon talks about you."

"And may I ask who you are?"

"Dionysus: god of wine and fertility. Nice to meet you." The man said, "Have you seen Apollon by the way?"

"He said he had some business with the Nine Muses...or something like that. He should be back soon, so you can stay and wait around if you wish."

"You know what? I think I will." Dionysus took a seat on the piano bench next to Tsukito, "I brought wine, do you want any?"

Tsukito shook his head, "I'm underage."

"Whaaat? Oh yeah, you humans have legal drinking ages now. How old are you?"

"Nineteen." Tsukito stated bluntly.

"Tch, that sucks...welp, more for me then." Dionysus popped off the cork and drank straight from the bottle.

Tsukitos fingers fidgeted with the piano keys, trying to figure out the words to say, "...May I ask you something?"

Dionysus just glanced at him, signaling to Tsukito that he was listening.

"Did something happen to Apollon? Something he didn't want me...or anyone to know about?"

"He's a god, but he's not perfect. Apollon's done a lot of things, a lot of them very morally questionable. But I think that's part of a god's nature, to be honest." Dionysus said, "He's really weird and too kind for his own good. Whatever he did, he most likely would feel terrible afterward."

"That's not what I'm asking. What did Apollon do that he's so insistent on hiding from me?"

"That, I can't answer. It's better if you hear it from Apollon himself. He can't hide it forever. You just have to be prepared for what he's going to say." Said Dionysus, taking another swig from the bottle, "If you ask me, he's most likely terrified of how you'll react."

Suddenly, they heard the door open, "Tsuki-Tsuki, are you in here?"

"Welcome back." Tsukito greeted Apollon.

"Oh, Dee-Dee's here too? When did you come?" Apollon asked.

"I came looking for you, but I forgot why, so I guess I'm gonna leave now." Before Apollon could finish saying his first word, Dionysus had already left, but not before flashing a wink at Tsukito.

"What was that about?"

Tsukito shrugged, "We were just talking."

"About?"

"...Nothing."

* * *

Tsukito had procrastinated all day and now he decided: this is it. He's going to ask Apollon the question.

"Apollon."

"What is it, Tsuki-Tsuki?"

"I would like to talk about my visions." Tsukito said in a solemn tone.

"Of course! I'm always here to listen."

"I...I figured out what I've been seeing..." Tsukito hesitates for a moment. He had to get the truth out of Apollon. It's now or never. "It's the Trojan War..."

Apollon's face turned ghostly pale upon hearing those words, "Are...are you sure? Maybe you're mistaking it for something else?"

Tsukito shook his head, "I'm certain. I saw the wooden horse and Artemis was there...and you too. You were shooting black arrows from the top of the wall and the look you had..."

Before Tsukito could ask anything, Apollon ran out of the room. "Apollon, wait!"

Tsukito followed him out of the palace, begging him to stop running. But Apollon wouldn't listen and kept going. Tsukito was amazed how far and fast the sun god could run in such a short time. With what little stamina he had, it was hard for Tsukito to keep up with him.

"Apollon, please...stop. What's wrong?" Tsukito called out to Apollon as he chased him along the beach.

"Go away!"

"No!" Tsukito refused, "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

After a while of chasing after him, Tsukito had managed to corner Apollon at a dead end. The edge of Apollon's realm. Now that Tsukito notices, it's basically a floating island of some sort. Everything beyond that was just clouds. But now's not the time to dwell on it. Tsukito was sure Apollon won't be able to run anywhere else.

"No no, I can't tell you. You wouldn't understand!" Apollon said,

"Let me try to understand, then! Please, Apollon, you can trust me!" Tsukito begged Apollon, "You're my friend, I'm not here to hurt you, so please...if you would tell me what's wrong."

Apollon took a deep breath and sat on the ground. "Come." He beckoned Tsukito, his voice cracking like he was on the verge of tears. "This is going to be a long story."

Tsukito cautiously approached the sun god, sitting down beside him. Neither of them said anything for a while, which Tsukito didn't mind. He didn't exactly want to rush Apollon into telling him.

After a few moments of time had passed, Apollon finally spoke up. "How familiar are you with the Trojan War?"

"Hmm, not very. All I know is that it involved a wooden horse somehow, but that's pretty much it."

Apollon laughs bitterly, "Yeah, I think that's what people associate with the war nowadays. Then, let me ask you a different question. What exactly did you see in your vision?"

"Well...it wasn't in a battlefield...in Troy at first. I found myself in a meadow somewhere with a forest right next to it. There was a woman just walking around, a really pretty one at that. But then all of a sudden this man just came out of the forest and grabbed her." Tsukito explained.

"Oh yeah, Paris took Helen. I remember that." Apollon said.

"Can you...tell me more about it?" Tsukito asked.

"So once Eris, the goddess of chaos, threw down an apple labeled for the fairest. Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena ended up having a huge fight over it, so Zeus sent them to Paris, the prince of Troy. He ended up picking Aphrodite in the end, so she promised him the most beautiful woman, that being Helen. Paris knew Helen was already married to the king of Sparta but he kidnapped her anyway and that's pretty much how the whole war started in the first place."

"Then...how do you come into play in all of this?"

"Me, I was a different story. Long ago, I fell in love with a woman. Cassandra was her name. To show my love for her, I...I gave her the gift of prophecy. But somehow she became able to see her own future and saw how our relationship wasn't going to work, so she rejected me in the end." Apollon paused, trying to hold back a sob, "But I loved her so, so much and got angry that she just left me like that, so I cursed her so that no one would ever believe her prophecies. But even that wouldn't quell my anger, so I ended up fighting with the Trojans in the end."

The more Apollon talks, the more Tsukito notices how hard he is trying not to cry. Tsukito inched his hand towards Apollon's and held it gently, trying to assure him somehow. "Go on."

"It started when the king of Mycenae insulted one of my priests, so I went over to Troy and shot plague infected arrows into the Greek army camp and it just escalated from there. At that point I just didn't care anymore and went massacring anyone I could during the whole war." Apollon continued to explain, the tears in his eyes were becoming more evident, "I killed so many people. And I still regret what I've done to this day. You have no idea how much I wish I could go back in time. I would change everything! _EVERYTHING_!" The sun god screamed in between sobs, "Then maybe I wouldn't have to feel my sins crawling on my back everyday!"

Tsukito just sat there at a loss of what to do. Seeing Apollon so broken like this, he honestly couldn't fathom how someone so cheerful and loving could be hiding so much pain. It must be even worse for a god since they have to bear their scars forever.

"What you did was wrong...very, very wrong. You made a mistake, and I can't imagine how much of a burden it feels for you. You can't go back and change it, no matter how much you want to." Tsukito said, "But the least we can do is learn from it. Resolve to be better and move on."

"All this time, I've tried to do everything to make up for what I did, but...that feeling never goes away. I can still feel all the blood on my hands and it feels gross." Apollon's shoulders shake as he breaks down crying "Sometimes I wonder if it even matters anymore? Maybe I just wasted my time desperately wanting to believe it's possible to be a good person, even if I've killed people. I think it would've been easier if I didn't care so much."

Tsukito hesitates before giving an answer, "You didn't waste your time. To be honest, I would like to think anyone could be a good person if they try." He cautiously wrapped his arms around Apollon, treating him gently as if he were made of glass. "But I think you can do it. I believe in you."

Apollon pried Tsukito off of him, half expecting him to look at him with contempt and hatred. But there was none.

"Tsuki-Tsuki..." Apollon grabbed onto Tsukito's waist tightly and buried his face into his chest, "Thank you...even though I don't deserve this..."

"I didn't do anything. The least I could do was listen."

"I'm sorry, Tsuki-Tsuki...I'm not as perfect as you think I am." Apollon sobbed into Tsukito's chest.

"That's okay too. I don't expect you to be." Tsukito said as he cards his fingers through Apollon's long golden locks. He rested his chin on the top of his head and sighed. He wanted to do something for Apollon and if that means letting him cry in his arms all night, so be it.

* * *

 **As we approach the last few chapters of this story, I will take the time to announce that I might change the rating next chapter because it may or may not get smutty from this point on.**

 **I mean, probably the skinny dipping scene should probably tell you something x)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello naughty children it's gonna get smutty all up in this bitch.** **Because there is never enough sin in this world**

 **Basically, a third of this chapter is pure filth. You have been warned. Holy fuck, this took me so long to write and I ended up half-assing it in the end, like fuck it...yup :I**

 **Song Inspiration:**

 **Lua - Bright Eyes**

 **Santa Monica Dream - Angus & Julia Stone**

* * *

As Tsukito noticed, Apollon seemed to feel significantly better after he came clean with him. He knows it might take a while Apollon to move on from his past and maybe not loathe himself so much.

But Tsukito can't be the one to help him do that. He only has a few days left in Delphi. He was going to leave Greece altogether and never see Apollon again.

It hurt Tsukito to think about it. He had gotten so attached to Apollon. Too attached. In all the time he spent wandering the globe all alone, Apollon was the first friend Tsukito ever had in a long time.

...It felt kind of wrong to consider Apollon a friend, but Tsukito doesn't know what to consider him.

He doesn't even know how to tell Apollon.

* * *

Apollon took Tsukito back to his hotel in Delphi the next day. They came back pretty late at night and no one was around, so Apollon just flew Tsukito to the window of his room.

"Thank you." Tsukito said as he pried the window open and climbed through, "Sorry, it must be a pain to carry me all the way back here."

"Oh no, it was no problem at all, really. So, see you later?"

"Actually, would you like to come in?" Tsukito asked, "Just...take a human form before you attract attention."

"Is it okay? Is it really okay?"

Tsukito nodded, "It's fine. I get kind of lonely during the night, since I don't really sleep."

Without hesitation, Apollon clumsily climbed into the window, falling flat on his face with a dull thud. "Oww..."

Tsukito laughs softly, "Are you okay?" He took Apollon by the hand and helped pull him up. "Be careful."

They stood there like that for a moment, just staring at each other intently. Another moment later, Apollon carressed Tsukito's face. "You have very pretty eyes, you know that?"

Tsukito cleared his throat and let go of Apollon's hand, realizing he's been holding it a bit too long, "I...uh...I'm going to go shower. You can sit tight for a bit."

Apollon takes the moment to quickly switch into his human form, "Okay!"

As Tsukito disappeared into the bathroom, Apollon just seats himself on the edge of the bed. He idly glances around the room, the sound of running water drowning out the silence. Apollon's gaze landed on a book sitting on the desk. Mildly curious, he reaches over and grabbed it. It seemed to be a scrapbook of some sort. The cover was blue and decorated with colorful seashells. Apollon leafs through the pages, his eyes skimming the diary entries and photos with such fascination. Tsukito wasn't kidding when he said he's been to a lot of places.

Then diary entries were something else. While they seemed a bit mundane, like Tsukito was just keeping a log of everything he did, what caught Apollon's interest was that they seemed to be like letters. Letters addressed to Takeru. Every entry was littered with phrases such as: "You would've loved it." and "I wish you could come with me."

It came off as a little strange to Apollon, but he kept reading. He couldn't help but smile when he reached the part about their trip to Rhodes. He was glad Tsukito had fun that day despite how quicky everything went south.

Just as he reached the last entry, something fell out of the scrapbook. Apollon bent down to pick it up. It seemed to be a small newspaper clipping. His eyes widened as he read the headline.

" _Horrific Traffic Accident Kills Two._ "

Suddenly intrested, Apollon kept reading through the article. It was a petty accident caused by a driver texting and driving, crashing into another car and killing both people inside. Among the deceased were...

Izanami and Takeru Totsuka.

In that moment of shock, Apollon didn't notice Tsukito coming out of the bathroom.

"Hey, give me that!" Tsukito snatched up the scrapbook and newspaper, taking Apollon by surprise.

"Oh...I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be nosy."

Tsukito didn't say anything to him as he shoved the scrapbook into his bag.

"Tsuki-Tsuki...did Takeru actually pass away?" Apollon asked.

Tsukito just sighed in response, "I guess I can't hide this from you, huh?" He sat on the bed next to Apollon, "Yes, he died in that accident...along with my mother."

"Why...why didn't you tell me anything about this?"

"I didn't want you to treat me differently if you knew. I didn't want your pity." Tsukito said, choking back a sob, "...it's my fault they're gone, after all."

"What?"

"The day of the accident...my mother had called me to ask for a ride to the grocery store. I had to practice for a violin recital, so I couldn't. So she asked Takeru instead..and then..." Tsukito paused, "After that, my father became an alcoholic and my older brother just left us without a word. It wasn't long before I left too."

"So why did you decide to travel around the world in the first place?" Apollon asked.

"When we were younger, Takeru wanted to see the world, so I decided to grant that wish for him. It was the least I could do for him."

"Oh, Tsuki-Tsuki..."

"That should've been me! I should've died that day, not him! Takeru never did anything wrong!" Tsukito screams, completely breaking down into tears.

"Neither did you." Apollon said, wiping the tears from Tsukito's face, "And I'm sure he wouldn't want you to blame yourself, I'm sure. It wasn't your fault, Tsuki-Tsuki, it was just a terrible accident."

"What do you know? Takeru's dead! And ever since then, my life has gone to shit!" Tsukito yelled at him, "Do you have any idea what it's like to wait for your brother and mother to come home? And they never do? Do you know how it feels to have this contstant guilt looming over you everyday?"

Apollon didn't know what to do. He had never expected Tsukito to lose his cool like this. Tsukito was usually just so reserved and quiet, it wouldn't be a surprise to Apollon if he had kept years grief and sorrow bottled up inside of him and he's just letting it all out all at once now.

He grabbed Tsukito by the wrists, begging him to calm down. Tsukito struggled in his grasp, refusing to do so, so Apollon did the next thing that came to mind. He quickly leaned in and gently locked his lips against Tsukito's. Tsukito stopped his struggling, completely frozen in his spot. He didn't exactly resist, much to Apollon's surprise. Instead he felt Tsukito's body relax as they kissed.

What was he doing? Doing this kind of thing when Tsukito was vulnerable. He couldn't help but feel he was taking advantage of Tsukito.

Apollon pulled himself off of Tsukito, trying to comprehend what he had just done, "I..I'm sorry, Tsuki-Tsuki, I don't know-"

"Do that again."

Apollon just stared at him completely dumbfounded, "W-what?"

Tsukito just clutched his face in his hands and pulled Apollon towards him, kissing him again. Apollon pushed him away, "We shouldn't be doing this."

"It's fine, I'll give you permission just for tonight." Tsukito whispered, "I just want to forget for a while."

Tsukito pressed his lips against Apollon's, this time the sun god didn't resist. If this is what he can do for Tsukito, then fine. His own feelings have nothing to do with this.

Apollon's hands slipped under Tsukito's shirt, feeling that his skin was still damp from the shower. Tsukito shuddered as Apollon's warm fingertips made contact with his cold skin, gently gracing it with light, feathery touches. They pulled apart for a moment so that Tsukito could remove his shirt. Apollon followed suit and removed his as well. He gently shoved Tsukito onto the bed before continuing to kiss him. It got quite messy pretty quickly. Their tongues moved against each other or rather, it was more like Tsukito passively letting Apollon's tongue roam the inside of his mouth as he pleases.

Apollon then removes his lips from Tsukito's and instead latches them on to a small patch of skin on Tsukito's neck. Tsukito let out a faint whimpering noise as Apollon continuously sucked on different areas of his neck and along his collarbone. It wasn't long before that entire area was covered in several bruises.

While he was doing that, Apollon kept his hands busy by letting them roam any exposed skin he could reach. Soon, one of his hands had trailed down to the waistband of Tsukito's pants. He gently tugged at it before slipping his hand underneath. Tsukito gasped as he felt Apollon's fingers on his cock. Tsukito was quite sensitive and it doesn't take much to get him excited, as Apollon discovered. With just a bit of stroking and teasing, Tsukito was already half hard. Satisfied with what he's done so far, Apollon proceeds to pull off Tsukito's pants along with his underwear, throwing them both on the floor.

Tsukito didn't seem embarrased or anything, just...rather passive and submissive. Seeing him like this, Apollon just begins to realize how uncomfortably tight his pants got all of a sudden. Before continuing with anything else, he strips himself of what remained of his clothes, letting out a faint sigh of relief when his hard, throbbing erection was released from its confines.

He was absolutely sure Tsukito had never done this kind of thing before, but he seemed to pick up on things pretty quickly. Apollon just let his fingers barely graze Tsukito's legs, gently coaxing him into spreading them for him. He lowered his head between Tsukito's legs and nipped at the skin of his inner thighs, marking his soft skin with multiple red patches. Tsukito couldn't contain any noise escaping from his lips as Apollon moved on to his cock, slowly licking up the shaft before engulfing the head in his mouth. Tsukito's fingers tangled themselves into Apollon's hair as the latter began bobbing his head up and down, taking in more of Tsukito's cock with every suck. Apollon could feel it twitch in his mouth as he teased every spot he could with his tongue. After making sure he had made Tsukito completely hard, Apollon suddenly pulled away. Tsukito let out a whine of protest, as if begging Apollon to keep sucking him off.

"Tsuki-Tsuki, can you get on your hands and knees for me, please?" Apollon finally said to him.

Tsukito just nodded and did as he was told without question, flipping his body around so that he was on all fours on the bed. Apollon couldn't help but take a moment to stare. He wonders if he would be able to control himself. Tsukito was probably a virgin and the last thing Apollon wanted was to hurt him.

But the sight of Tsukito with his hands and knees on the bed, ass in the air and cock practically leaking onto the sheets...Apollon's self-contol be damned.

Tsukito gasped as he felt Apollon's hands on his ass, spreading him as much as possible. Apollon slowly licked at his entrance, just to see how he would react. Tsukito's body tensed up for a moment, which apparently was the reaction Apollon was looking for. Apollon's tongue kept prodding at his hole, gently tracing the rim but not actually pushing it inside. He relished in the sound of the lewd moaning coming from Tsukito as he dragged his tongue up and down, feeling his hole twitch slightly in response. Tsukito's legs wobbled and struggled to stay up as Apollon gently eased his tongue inside him.

"Stop...teasing me." Tsukito begged in between ragged breaths.

"Aww, but it'd be a shame if you were to cum before I actually did anything. We can't have that, so try to hold out for a little while longer. Can you do that, Tsuki-Tsuki?"

Apollon looked around the room for a moment. Certainly, Tsukito didn't have any lube and Apollon definitely doesn't have any on him at the moment and there doesn't seem to be any alternative anywhere...

He suddenly hears something drop onto the floor. From the corner of his eye, he saw a small bottle rolling towards the bed. Apollon reached down to pick it up, taking note of the grapevine designs painted on it.

Apollon doesn't know how, but he has every reason to believe that Dionysus has a sixth sense of some sort. He'll thank him later.

He quickly pulled the top off with his teeth and threw it across the room somewhere. He then poured a generous amount on his hand, making sure his fingers were as slick as possible. Apollon let his fingers trace around the rim of Tsukito's entrance for a moment before gently slipping one inside of him. Apollon seemed genuinely amazed about how easily he sucked it in. He felt Tsukito wince slightly as he pushed his finger all the way in. Tsukito hissed at the discomfort, but tried his best to adjust.

Once Apollon felt that Tsukito was ready, he added in another finger and began scissoring his fingers a little bit at a time, slowly stretching Tsukito as much as he could. At the same time, Apollon used his other hand to stroke his own neglected cock.

After making sure he had completely prepared Tsukito, Apollon grabbed the bottled he had set aside earlier and used whatever was left to completely cover his cock. Tsukito's breath hitched when he felt the tip Apollon's cock barely pressing against his twitching hole. He rocks his hips slightly, as if trying to urge Apollon to continue. It didn't take long for Apollon to pick up on Tsukito's desperation and complied without another word.

Apollon slowly began to enter him, only managing to push in halfway through before he felt Tsukito's body tense up, preventing him from going any further. He could hear Tsukito let out a choked sob from the dull pain. He couldn't particularly blame him, it was his first time, after all. And he was pretty big too, so that certainly did not help.

"Try to relax, okay? I promise the pain will go away." Apollon murmured into his ear.

His gentle voice seemed to comfort Tsukito to some degree as he slowly started to relax his body. Tsukito took a few deep breaths, hoping it would distract him from the pain somewhat.

"Okay...I think I'm alright now."

"Are you sure?" Apollon asked, sounding somewhat worried for Tsukito.

"Just go. We've already gotten this far." Tsukito replied, his tone was almost demanding.

Apollon started thrusting into him, setting a slow pace at first so that Tsukito could get accustomed to the feeling. But as much as Apollon tried to restrain himself, he soon found himself thrusting even harder and faster into Tsukito, practically pounding into him. Tsukito's mind was a haze at this point. He never knew it was possible to feel something like this and now he just wanted to lose himself in the feeling. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the sheets tightly, the sound of his moaning and panting filled the room.

Tsukito let out a noise that sounded like a combination of a gasp and a scream. Apollon stops for a moment, "Tsuki-Tsuki?"

Tsukito's mind struggled to form coherent words, "Hit it again...that spot...inside..."

"Okay." Apollon said simply before continuing to fuck him. Tsukito let out strangled cries as Apollon's cock kept prodding at that bundle of nerves deep inside of him. Soon the intense pleasure reduced him to nothing but a sobbing mess. As Apollon quickened the pace of his thrusts, it didn't take all that much for Tsukito to cum. With a scream, he came rather violently, his entire body shuddered intensely as thick white ribbons splattered onto the sheets.

Apollon groaned when he felt Tsukito's inner walls clench around his cock. The sudden tightening feeling alone was enough to send him over the edge. With just a few more thrusts, Apollon came deep inside of Tsukito. Tsukito let out a faint whimpering sound as he felt his insides being flooded by something warm and thick.

The both remained still for a moment, trying to catch their breaths. Tsukito's body went limp as he felt extremely exhausted all of a sudden. He winced as he felt Apollon pull out of him, his cum dripping out of Tsukito a bit as he did so.

They didn't say anything to each other. After that, how could they say anything? What would they say?

Apollon let himself drop onto the bed, buring his face in a pillow. He turned his head a bit to see Tsukito climbing out of bed, walking towards the bathroom with a noticable limp.

Apollon yawned and let himself drift off to sleep. He can hear the shower running...

* * *

Apollon woke up the the sound of footsteps and clothes shuffling. He slowly rose in the bed, blinking a few times to let his vision adjust, "Tsuki-Tsuki?"

Tsukito ignored the sound of his name being called. He was rushing around the room, just picking up things and shoving them in his suitcase. The dead, despondent look in his eyes worried Apollon a little.

Apollon picked up his discarded clothes from the floor and put them back on. "Tsuki-Tsuki, what are you doing?" He asked.

"I have to go." Tsukito replied, zipping up the suitcase.

"Go? Go where?"

"I'm leaving Delphi...so this is goodbye."

Apollon's eyes widened, "W-what? What are you saying? You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not." There was a long moment of silence as Tsukito tried to find the words to say. He sighed, "Whatever is going on between us...it has to stop. You're a god and I'm just a mere human. We'll only end up hurting each other. It's better if you forget about me...and what happened last night."

"Tsuki-Tsuki, what's this all of a sudden?" Apollon asked.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't think I haven't noticed." Tsukito replied, "You were still in love with me all this time, right?"

Apollon hesitated before answering. He considered it, but he couldn't bring himself to lie to Tsukito. "...Yes. Yes I was."

"I figured as much..," Tsukito laughs bitterly, "I'll make this very clear. I do not and will never want any sort of romantic relationship with you."

"I-I get that! And I'm trying not to let my own feelings get in the way. I can still be your friend! I can still help you!" Apollon struggled with his words, hoping he could convince Tsukito to change his mind.

"I appreciate it, but there's nothing you can do for me anymore."

"But you can't leave yet! I promised you!"

"Well, I'm letting you off of that promise." Tsukito said, his voice monotone and cold. "It doesn't matter to me anymore. I was stupid to think I had any chance of getting my spark back, but now I understand. It died along with Takeru."

"But those things take time! If we keep going at it, I'm sure you'll-"

"No, I won't!" Tsukito yelled, taking Apollon by surprise. He picked up his violin from its open case, "Just leave it, Apollon. I quit the violin!"

Apollon could only watch in horror as Tsukito threw the violin against the wall, breaking it into pieces upon impact. He dropped to his knees, just staring at the broken pieces on the floor in shock.

"Do you hear me, Apollon? You couldn't even help me. There's no point in you trying so hard. Hell, maybe you just wanted an excuse to get close to me, but that's none of my business. I am going to leave and forget about you and all this. You mean nothing to me." Tsukito said coldly, "Goodbye, Apollon."

Apollon doesn't even look up at him as the door slammed shut. His chest hurt too much for him to move. Just when he thought Tsukito was different...why did things have to turn out like this?

* * *

Dionysus watched Apollon from the doorway. He's holed himself up there for nearly two days, refusing to speak to anyone who came in. All he did was stare at the broken violin pieces that he ended up bringing back with him, "So he's really gone, huh?"

Artemis rolled her eyes, "I knew this would happen. I told him, but no, he wouldn't listen to me."

"Artemis, do you not feel the least bit sorry for him?" Dionysus asked, "Oh wait, at least Tsukito is gone, so you got exactly what you wanted either way, right?"

"I was just trying to protect Apollon." Artemis said.

Dionysus just scoffed, "Yeah, great job on the protecting him part." He said sarcastically, "Was making him feel like shit part of it?"

Artemis started getting all defensive, "Why are you acting like I did something wrong?"

"Tsukito wasn't a bad guy, Artemis. And maybe you would've known that if you just got off your high horse and actually got to know him instead of dismissing him as just another human that just wants to use Apollon."

"What do you know? You've only talked to him like, once."

"Once was good enough." Dionysus said, "I could tell how much he cares for Apollon. He's really not like all the others. But whatever, he's gone now so I guess everything that I'm saying right now might be bullshit to you, huh?"

Suddenly, the sound of feathers can be heard.

"Oh hello, Eros."

Eros' blond curls bounced as he gracefully landed on his feet. He ignored Dionysus and glared at Artemis very sternly, "Artemis, may I speak to you?"

"Oooh, someone's in trouble~" Dionysus said in a singsong voice.

Artemis glared at him, "Shut up!"

As Artemis left with Eros, Dionysus looked back towards the open doorway...

...only to find that Apollon was gone.

* * *

The past two days haven't been very easy for Tsukito. He thought he could just leave Delphi and forget everything about Apollon and just move on with his life. He was done. Tsukito was honestly done.

But why does he feel so terrible?

Ever since he left, the pain in his chest just kept eating at him. So much to the point that it was almost unbearable. He just felt he had to distance himself from Apollon and it was easy to do so, but it wasn't supposed to feel so painful. And those awful things he said to Apollon, there's no way he could ever take those words back. What the hell was he even thinking? Yes, he can be blunt, but he'd never be that cruel.

But what's done is done. It's not his problem anymore and he's just going to move on.

He walked along the side of the road, hoping for some kind soul to give him a ride to his next destination. Hitchhiking was never the best idea, but he was surprised he was able to make this far this way. He was getting close to Thessaloniki and from there, he plans to hop on a plane to Belgium. Just a few more towns over.

Tsukito continued walking up the road, trying to find one that was fairly crowded with cars. But after walking for nearly two hours, the roads were mostly empty.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake, but it was so miniscule, Tsukito didn't think anything of it. Then the ground continued to shake, becoming increasingly violent by the second. Tsukito lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. What was this all of a sudden, an earthquake?

Much to his horror, the ground below Tsukito began to crack and the cracks only seemed to get bigger as the ground slowly began to open up. In a panic, he tried to get away, but the ground crumbled underneath his weight, sending him falling into the dark abyss below.

* * *

 ***sips tea nonchalantly as I relish in your anguished screaming***


	8. Chapter 8

**Song Inspiration:**

 **Here We Are - Toby Fox**

 **Thank You for Being Born (instrumental) - Dai**

* * *

Tsukito let out a groan as he came to.

He opened his eyes and was greeted with pitch blackness. Where was he?

Tsukito reached into his bag, feeling for a little rabbit keychain. With a push of its belly, a tiny light emitted from the top of its head. It's not much, but it made quite a difference.

It seemed to be a cavern of some sort, dark and cold. The atmosphere felt ominous and sinister.

Wait, didn't the ground open up and he fell through it...?

Okay, in that case, he is definitely underground somewhere.

He pulled himself up to a stand, trying to figure out what to do next. Pointing the light upwards, he could see he had fallen a pretty long way. How did he even survive that fall? And he couldn't see any light from above, which meant the ground closed up again after he fell.

Now what?

"Hey kid, you getting on or not?" A voice called out to him.

Tsukito turned around to find a boat with an old man standing in it. His gaze was icy and sharp, it even made Tsukito shrink back nervously.

"Oh...I'm not..."

"I don't have all day, kid. Hurry it up." The ferryman yelled at him in a gravelly voice.

Tsukito flinched at his tone, "O-okay."

He reluctantly jumped on the boat. The trip across the murky river took quite a bit of time and the longer it took, the more Tsukito could feel a feeling of dread settle in his gut.

"Uhm...where exactly am I?" Tsukito asked.

"You're the Underworld, kid." The ferryman answered, clearly hoping Tsukito would shut up after that.

The Underworld...? Why would he be here? He's not even dead...at least, he doesn't think he is.

But never mind that. How was he going to get out of here? He's heard the residents of the Underworld don't take living trespassers very well. Tsukito might even die before he could find a way out.

Soon, the boat had arrived at the other side. As Tsukito hopped off the boat, he could see the entrance of the Underworld looming over him.

"See you later, kid."

"W-wait, don't I need to pay you?" But it wasn't like he had anything to pay him with anyway.

The ferryman just shook his head, "I'll give you a free pass. You're living, right?"

Oh good, Tsukito has at least some confirmation that he's alive. "How did you know?"

"After Hercules and Orpheus trying to sneak in, it's not all that hard to tell." The ferryman said.

"I didn't sneak in, I just fell into here by accident and I'm looking for a way out of here. Do you know of one?" Tsukito asked.

"The only exit I know of is in Hades' palace, but you have to travel deep into the middle of the Underworld to get there. I can't guarantee you'll even make it there alive."

Yes, Tsukito figured as much. Doesn't mean he still can't try. He thanked the ferryman and he went off on his way. Well, that encounter went better than expected.

The ferryman wasn't joking when he said the chances of Tsukito getting out alive were very slim. As soon as he approached the gates of the Underworld, he was met with a huge black dog. It was so big that it towered over Tsukito significantly. Its three heads growled menacingly at Tsukito. Cerberus...

Tsukito was considering on making a run for it, but he couldn't possibly outrun Cerberus. But he couldn't just turn back either...does he really have a choice?

If he was going to be stuck in the Underworld, he was at least going to die trying first.

Feeling a sudden surge of determination, Tsukito took a deep breath and started sprinting towards the gates. Cerberus stood in front of them, blocking his way. But Tsukito was able to maneuver his way under him by dropping onto his knees and sliding through between Cerberus' legs.

Before Tsukito could get anywhere near the gates, Cerberus had caught up to him and knocked him into the cave wall before he tumbled to the ground. This was it. Was this really how he was going to die? As Cerberus crept closer to him, Tsukito was starting to accept his impending death. Getting mauled to death by the guard dog of the Underworld wasn't the best way to go out, but...

Tsukito squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for what was coming...but what came wasn't what he was expecting. Opening his eyes, he sees Cerberus just...sniffing him? Tsukito just sat there dumbfounded Cerberus continued doing so, his nose trailing down his entire body before taking interest in the aquamarine anklet Tsukito wore. Takeru's anklet.

Much to Tsukito's surprise, Cerberus' mood changed drastically. Suddenly, he was wagging his tail and yapping happily, much like a excited little puppy might do.

Tsukito tentatively stretched a hand towards Cerberus and gently pet one of his heads. It made him wag his tail even more. As Tsukito continued petting him, the other two heads licked his face incessantly. He couldn't help but laugh softly, "Hey, that tickles."

He supposes Cerberus wasn't so bad after all. He was just a giant three-headed puppy.

"May I go through the gates now?" Tsukito asked.

Cerberus immediately goes to sit in his spot beside the gates, his tail still wagging. Tsukito swears Cerberus might lose his tail at this rate. He gave the dog one last pet before going through the gates of the Underworld, "Thank you."

He didn't know why Cerberus decided to let him in all of a sudden. Maybe he just got lucky.

As Tsukito began wandering through the Underworld, he could feel chills going up his spine. He didn't know what he was expecting from it. It wasn't exactly easy either. Several times, the souls of the dead would try to grab Tsukito as he walked past, hoping for a free ride out.

"Turn back." A hushed voice whispered to him.

He couldn't. He didn't know how long he had been walking, but he was sure he's probably far, far away from the entrance now. The path ahead seemed to be getting darker and darker, so much so that his little keychain flashlight couldn't do much for him. He could feel his determination begin to waver, slowly starting to turn into fear.

"Turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back."

Tsukito tried to ignore the voices and continued ahead. But the more he pressed on, the more vicious the voices became.

"Die die die die die die die die die die."

"I'll kill you I'll kill you I'll kill you I'll kill you I'll kill you I'll kill you"

"Shut up!" Tsukito's voice echoed throughout the Underworld.

Just like that, the voices disappeared. At that point, Tsukito couldn't help but wonder: were they just part of his imagination?

The voices were gone, at least. Now he could keep going. Tsukito had a feeling he was getting close. He can't stop now.

It wasn't long before he heard foosteps. Tsukito didn't think anything of it...until suddenly felt something sharp press against his back lightly, "Halt."

Tsukito immediately put his hands up in a defensive stance. Just when he was getting close, he just had to get himself caught, now did he?

"We were made aware that a living was wandering here."

"Yes...and?" Tsukito said, trying to keep his calm. Maybe he could find a way out of this somehow.

"We're sorry, but we cannot allow you to walk around here as you please. We will bring you before Lord Hades. If you resist, we will have no choice but to take drastic measures."

Tsukito tried to struggle when his hands were cuffed behind his back. But the handcuffs were heavy and they were so tight, they bit into his wrists, most likely leaving bruises. With a sudden blow to the back of his head, Tsukito felt his consciousness slip away from him.

* * *

Tsukito woke up to the feeling of a cold marble floor pressing against his face.

"Have you awoken?" A deep voice asked.

Tsukito struggled to pull himself up, but having his hands cuffed behind his back made it difficult. He scanned his surroundings. He seemed to be in a throne room of some sort. The room was dimly lit up by torches that had a eerie blue flame. Tsukito then found himself face to face with the god of the Underworld himself. He was dressed in black robes and his dark green hair fell in long waves, his gaze was stern and cold, sending shivers down Tsukito's spine. Beside his throne stood a shorter guard dressed in matching robes, his face obscured by a large hood.

The short guard turned to the others, "Now, can we please get the cuffs off the 128-pound guy? It's not like he's going to run anywhere."

Tsukito sighed in relief as his hands were released from the heavy metal cuffs. Just as he thought, very dark purple lines marred his wrists where the cuffs were and they ached from being bound for so long.

"What is your name, mortal?" Hades asked.

"Tsukito...my name is Tsukito."

"Why have you come down here?"

"I didn't come here willingly. I just fell into here." Tsukito answered, "I was told that the exit was in your palace, so I came looking for it."

"So you ended up where you wanted to in the end?" Hades sighed, "Very well, I will allow you to cross the barrier, but if you find yourself here again, I might not be so kind the second time."

Tsukito couldn't stop a smile from forming on his face, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Hades turned to the guards that restrained Tsukito, "Escort him to the barrier." He ordered.

The guards pulled Tsukito up off the floor and led him towards the door of the throne room. Tsukito had expected he had to fight his way out, but that was a little anti-climatic. But he was more than happy to be able to leave. Alive.

"Hades, wait!" The shorter guard begged Hades, suddenly grabbing onto his arm.

Hades gazed softened as he turned to him, "What is it?"

"Can...can he stay for a little longer?"

Tsukito was confused. Why did this person want him to stay in this kind of place? He kept walking before they could manage to convince Hades to find a way to keep him here.

"You know the rules. The Underworld is no place for the living." Hades said.

"I'm not asking for much, just a few hours. Please?"

Hades raised an eyebrow, "May I ask why?"

There was a long moment of silence before the guard answered, "Because...that's my brother."

Tsukito stopped and abruptly turned around. What?

The guard pulled down his hood, smiling at Tsukito. "Hey Anii..."

Tsukito's jaw dropped as his eyes widened in shock. He couldn't believe it...but there was no mistaking it. Tsukito would recognize that spiky blue hair anywhere. "Takeru...?"

His body moved on his own as he pushed the other guards aside, running towards Takeru. Takeru also immediately bounded towards Tsukito, unable to contain his emotions. They threw their arms around each other, holding each other tightly.

"Takeru, is that really you?" Tsukito asked, clutching Takeru's face in his hands.

Takeru grinned, "I'm as real as it gets, dude."

"I missed you..."

"I know. I missed you too." Takeru said, "You know, I don't think I've ever seen you cry like this."

Tsukito laughs, despite the tears falling from his eyes, "Oh shut up, you're crying too."

Takeru turned to Hades, "Please, Hades, can he stay for a little while longer?"

"Very well, I will give you twenty-four hours." Hades sighed, his voice cracking as if he was also trying not to cry.

"Thank you, Hades!" Takeru quickly ran up to Hades and kissed him on the cheek, which surprised Tsukito.

Hades just smiled at him, "Only because it's for you, Takeru. Now go. Be with your brother."

Takeru grabbed Tsukito by the hand and pulled him out of the throne room, "Come on, I know a place where we can can talk."

After a seemingly endless maze of hallways, he led Tsukito to a garden of some kind. The entire area was filled with all kinds of plants and colorful flowers, a stark contrast to the general darkness of the Underworld.

"Since Persephone is gone for the season, I'm sure she won't mind if we mess around in her garden."

"What is even...how did you...?"

"You must have a lot of questions right now, don't you, Anii?" Takeru took a seat in a patch of grass, patting the seat next to him, "We have a lot to catch up on."

Tsukito sat next to Takeru, "So are you..."

"Yep, I'm dead. Completely and one-hundred percent dead." Takeru said, "That's how I ended up here, after all."

"What about Mom? Is she here too?" Tsukito asked.

Takeru just shook his head sadly, "I...I never found her when I came here."

"Oh...then what about you...and Hades?"

"Now that's a funny story, but it's kinda long."

"We have twenty-four hours. Lay it on me." Tsukito said.

Takeru just sighed before answering, "I really don't know how to tell you this so I'm just going to say it...Hades is my husband."

Tsukito just blinked at him in surprise, "What...?"

"Hades and I are married." Takeru said, a bit slower, "I know what you're going to say, Anii, but I really do love Hades and he's very good to me and-"

"Takeru, slow down. I'm not going to judge you. I'm just surprised, that's all." Tsukito replied, "That does explain why you two look at each other like a married couple."

Takeru laughs sheepishly, "Aw shit, were we that obvious?"

"But thought Hades was married to Persephone."

"Was. It didn't work out in the end. They broke up centuries ago, but since Persephone is still bound to this place, she does come occasionally."

"Oh...then how did Persephone react to you?"

Takeru just shrugged, "She was surpisingly chill about it. She was happy for us, even. You should've seen her at our wedding, she practically drowned us in flowers."

Tsukito laughs, slightly amused by Takeru's story.

"Do you wanna hear the story of how we met?"

Tsukito nodded, "Sure...I suppose."

"So it wasn't long after I died. I was just sort of wandering the Underworld, then suddenly I just heard violin music coming from somewhere. I thought it reminded me of you, so I followed it and I found Hades playing the violin here in this garden."

"Hades plays the violin?"

"Yeah, it was a hobby he picked up centuries ago. Literally no one knows about this." Takeru said, "But anyway, he scolded me for tresspassing, but he couldn't stay mad at me for long. Imagine, one minute he's yelling at me, the next he feels terrible and offers to play more for me. He was terrifying upon first impression, but then I came to find out he's actually the biggest fucking dork who likes shitty puns."

"Then what happened?" Tsukito asked.

"I slept with him." Takeru replied nonchalantly. Tsukito's eyes widened, taken aback by the answer. Takeru burst into laughter at his reaction, "Yeah, sex on the first date. We moved pretty quickly. Pretty soon, I'm acting as his unofficial bodyguard."

Tsukito smiled, "But you seem happy down here, I'm glad. I don't know if it means anything to you, but you both have my blessing."

"Thanks, Anii. That actually means a lot. But enough about me. What have you been up to?" Takeru asked, "You seem different."

"Well yes, having your brother die tends to do that."

Takeru shook his head, "Not in that way, it's like...have you fucked anyone lately?"

Tsukito nearly choked on air at the unexpected question. His face suddenly flushing bright red was the answer Takeru needed.

"You did, didn't you?" Takeru says in a teasing manner, "I'm your brother, you can't hide this shit from me. And besides..." He pulled at the collar of Tsukito's shirt, revealing multiple, very prominent hickies that covered his neck and shoulders, "It's not like you really made an effort to hide these. Who did you fuck, a goddamn leech?"

"Do you want the short answer or the long answer?" Tsukito asked.

"Uh...short?"

"Apollon."

Takeru raised an eyebrow, "Apollon? You mean the sun god?"

"Yes." Tsukito confirms.

There was a long moment of silence before Takeru said, "Okay, now I kinda want the long answer."

Tsukito took a deep breath, "Oh..I don't even know where to start...after you and Mom died, Dad handled it really terribly and practically drowned himself in alcohol as a coping mechanism. Oh, and I think he gambled away all your savings."

"Shiiiit, that sounds real bad. What about Akira?" Takeru asked.

"He also handled it terribly too. Almost everyday, he just started yelling at me for no reason. Sometimes he would blame me for very minor things. But I guess he didn't want to deal with me anymore, so he eventually moved out and left me with Dad..." Tsukito explained, "Then...I left. I took out all the money I could and went to travel the world. I remembered how much you wanted to do that, so I decided to do it for you."

Takeru's eyes lit up, "You...did that for me? God, you are the best brother ever."

"I try to be. Oh, speaking of which..." Tsukito dug through his bag and pulled out the scrapbook, "I suppose you can have this back."

"Isn't this thing from when we were kids? Man, there must be some embarrassing stuff in here." Takeru flipped through the book, his eyes increasingly widening in surprise as he pressed further, "Wow...you went to all these places?"

"Yes."

"Whoa, I'm going to have a lot to catch up on." Takeru says jokingly, "So back to Apollon, how did he come into play?"

"About a month ago, I came to Delphi. I visited the Temple of Apollo and decided to play my violin there from some reason. He somehow heard me playing and he took it upon himself to help me." Tsukito explained, "He told me he fell in love with me the moment he saw me, but I told him no because I don't believe in love at first sight."

Takeru raised an eyebrow, "And he didn't annhilate your ass right then and there?"

"Surprisingly, no." Tsukito laughs at the thought, "I guess he was too nice now. But he was fine with helping me as a friend...even though I noticed a long time ago that he still had feelings for me. But then I told him about you...and the accident and I ending up having a breakdown over having to remembering it. I felt so guilty after your death and I just wanted to forget about everything for a night...so I had sex with Apollon."

"Wow...a one night stand, huh? How did you end up here?"

Tsukito sighed, "Everything happened so fast. I didn't regret sleeping with him, but I had realized we were both getting too attached to each other. I thought it was better to distance myself from him. So I left Delphi and told him to forget about me. But...ever since I left, my chest just hurts so much, I can't stand it."

"Okay...I'm not saying you might in love with him, but you might be in love with him." Takeru replied.

Tsukito shook his head, "No, I can't be...but I'm just so confused."

"Anii look, when you love someone, it's fucking torture. If you weren't in love, you wouldn't feel this shitty."

"It doesn't matter now. He's a god. I can't love him, even if I wanted to."

"Who the fuck told you that? Look at me. I'm married to a god and I'm fucking rolling." Takeru said, "Whoever told you that, I will fight them!"

"It was Artemis. She didn't tell me directly, but I overheard an argument with her and Apollon. She just seen Apollon hurt by humans so many times and I just didn't want to be added to that list." Tsukito explained, "I'm starting to think she was being mean to me so that she'd keep me away from him. Not that resent her for it."

"Artemis..?" Takeru shook his head, "Okay, hell no I ain't fucking with _Artemis_. I'm not about to get my ass beat."

Tsukito scoffed, "Not so above it all, are you?"

"She's terrifying as fuck, you can't blame me!"

"And even if we could make it work, when I left, I told him he didn't mean anything to me. Of course I didn't mean it, but I know I can't take it back. He'll never forgive me for it." Tsukito buried his face in his hands, trying to his the guilt growing in his facial expression. "After all those people that hurt him in the past, I probably completely shattered his trust in anybody."

"There you go with the blaming yourself bullshit again. You don't know that." Takeru sighed, "Anii, I know you're not cruel enough to say things like that and maybe he knows that. Maybe if you two would get your heads out of your asses and actually _talk to each other_ , maybe things would be easier for the both of you." He pauses for a moment, trying to figure out what else he wanted to say...or ask, "Though, why did he want to help you in the first place? Was something wrong?"

"Ever since you died, I just kind of...lost the will to play the violin. Since Apollon was the god of music, I thought maybe he could help me find my inspiration again...I was wrong. But it wasn't his fault, he really did try his best."

"So what happened then?" Takeru asked.

"I quit the violin."

Takeru's eyes widened in disbelief, "Eh?! Why?"

"You were the only person that kept me going, but since you we gone, I just didn't see a point anymore." Tsukito said sadly.

"Holy shit, you're a fucking mess." Takeru sighed, shaking his head. "Anii...I'm not going to force you to play violin if you don't want to, but if you do, do it because _you_ want to. Do it because you want to share your gift with the world and make other people happy with your music."

"Well, I can't so that now. I may or may not have smashed my violin..."

"Really? Aw dude, I worked hard to earn money to get you that thing."

Tsukito hung his head, feeling a little bit guilty, "I know. I'm sorry..."

"But besides the point, Anii, I think it's time for you to let me go. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that I got to be a source of inspiration for you, but you need to play for yourself from now on. Am I making any sense?" Takeru smiled softly, grasping Tsukito's hand like he used to do as a child, "Just go be happy. Live your life. That's all I want for you. And don't worry about me. You can trust Hades to take very good care of me. I know it might take while, but I know you can find some closure."

* * *

Tsukito stood at the barrier that separated the Underworld from the world of the living.

"Well, here we are. You should be able to pass through easily since you're living. Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Takeru asked.

"Yes, I'm sure I'll be fine. I know what I have to do now."

"Oh hey, if you find yourself down here again, make sure you have strawberry daifuku on hand. Hades really loves that stuff." Takeru said, "Don't tell him I told you that."

Tsukito laughs, "I'll keep that in mind."

"So...this is goodbye, I guess."

Tsukito suddenly pulled Takeru into the tightest hug he could, "I love you."

"I know..." Takeru replied, gently patting Tsukito's back, "Now go."

Tsukito released Takeru from his grip, "Goodbye."

Takeru watches as his brother went through the barrier without hesitation. He kept standing there until he couldn't see him anymore.

Takeru felt a hand on his shoulder, "So he's gone, huh?"

"Yeah...I'm glad you let me see him for one last time."

"Who said it had be the last time?" Hades asked.

Takeru looked at Hades, confused, "But I thought you said..." His face slowly started to light up, "Oh my god, Hades I love you so much right now."

Hades just smiled, "I know."

Takeru threw his arms around Hades' neck, pulling him in for a kiss. Hades tangled fingers in Takeru's hair, accidentally knocking off his headband, but neither of them could be bothered to care. They were just relishing in this moment of bliss.

Then suddenly Hades pulled away, settling for resting his forehead against Takeru's, "Hey, wait until we get to the bedroom, will you?"

"Carry me there." Takeru laughs playfully.

Hades sighed, scooping up Takeru in his arms, "Fine."

* * *

Tsukito slowly opened his eyes. What happened?

He remembers he was in the Underworld, then he crossed the barrier to the world of the living, then everything went white.

He looked around, seeing that he was in an unfamiliar room of some sort.

"Oh, thank Gaia, you're awake!" A voice suddenly called out, seemingly relieved.

Tsukito's blurry vison could barely make out blond hair and green eyes, "Apollon?"

"No, the other one, genius."

"Artemis? What are you doing here? And where am I?"

"You're at an inn in Thessaloniki. Someone found you lying unconcious on the side of the road and brought you here. I told the innkeeper I was a friend of yours." Artemis explained, "There's no time, we have to go!"

Artemis suddenly pulled Tsukito out of bed, took his belongings in another hand, and dragged him outside. She seemed kind of panicked. "Artemis, what's going on?"

Artemis turned to look at him, genuine fear in her eyes, "It's Apollon. You have to get back to Delphi."

* * *

 **OOooooh shit's about to get real here.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Writer problems: I googled how to hotwire a car for this chapter. I'm not a criminal, I swear...also** **there is sex again**

 **ALSO: Shoutout to chibiwriter on tumblr who drew me a thing for this fic (and also another thing of Artemis) I don't care if it'll never be finished, I love it a lot and I will cherish it as it is ; 7 ;**

 **Song Inspiration:**

 **Power to Progress - Darren & Stephen Loveday**

 **Ai Kotoba - ShounenT**

* * *

"What?"

"You have to go back to Delphi. Apollon is..."

"Apollon is what, Artemis? I won't know unless you tell me."

"What Apollon the god of?" Artemis asks.

Tsukito raised an eyebrow at the strange question, "Too many things, honestly."

"Just answer the damn question!"

Tsukito held up his hands defensively, "Okay, okay...The sun, music, prophecy, healing and..." His eyes widen as he slowly comes to realize, "...plague." quietly fell from his lips.

"Yes! And he's about to jumpstart another Black Plague if we don't stop him."

"But what can I do against a god? I'm just a human."

"I messed up, okay? I thought you were going to hurt Apollon like so many other humans he's loved and I tried to keep you two apart because I didn't want to see him like that again." Artemis said in between choked back sobs, "But I was wrong, I was so so wrong. You're the only one who can save him."

"Why does it have to be me?" Tsukito asked.

"After you left Delphi, Eros yelled at me for trying to break you up. He hates Apollon's guts, but I guess he decided stop being petty and let him be happy for once and sort of bound him to you, so you two are technically soulmates, I guess? And now Apollon's going on a rampage again and you're the only person I can go to. Are still with me so far?"

"Where else would I be?"

"I don't usually take orders from a lesser god, but this is _my brother_ we're talking about." Artemis explained, "You love him, don't you?"

Tsukito turns away from her, scenes from their last night together played in his head, "I...I don't even know."

"I do. Even though I gave you all those visions of the Trojan War, even when he told you what he's done, you still saw the good in him and accepted him. Even if you don't realize it yet, you love him unconditionally. I know I've been a jerkass to you and I don't know if my apology is even enough for you, but please, I'm begging you, stop my brother so he doesn't make those mistakes again."

"Wait, _you_ were the one giving me those visions?" Tsukito asked, "Is there anything else you should be telling me?"

"Not now, we have to go!"

Tsukito sighed, "Alright, is there anyone watching right now?"

"Uh...no?" Artemis replied as she scanned their surroundings.

"Good." Tsukito looks around until he found the most old-fashioned looking car he could find, "I can't believe I'm doing this..." He turned to Artemis, "If an alarm goes off, get ready to run."

"Okay, but are you-" Artemis stops her sentence when she hears the sound of breaking glass as Tsukito smashed the window with his elbow. Thankfully, it didn't seem to equipped with an alarm. "I...isn't that illegal?"

"Your brother is about to put a plague on Delphi. Besides it's only illegal if you get caught." Tsukito unlocks the car from the inside, "Get in."

Artemis rushes to the passenger seat, while Tsukito looks under the steering wheel, "Can I borrow one of your arrows?"

Without missing a beat, Artemis summons her silver arrows and gave one to Tsukito, despite not being sure what Tsukito plans to do with it. She watches intently as he wedged it into the panel under the steering wheel and pried it open, revealing the wiring underneath, "Look in the glove compartment, is there any electrical tape?"

"Conveniently, yes."

Tsukito began removing the wires with careful calculation, praying that he doesn't electrocute himself. He strips the wires of their insulation, exposing the copper parts of them. He twists together what he assumes is the battery and ignition wires. Tsukito lets out a sigh of relief when he sees that the dashboard lights are up. Now time to actually start the car. He takes the remaining wire and sparks it against the other two a few times until he hears the engine start up, "I did it..."

"How did you know how to do that?" Artemis asked, staring at Tsukito in pure amazement.

"...You don't want to know." Tsukito shook his head, "I prefer to avoid doing things like this, but sometimes I have to do what I have to do. I have learn how to survive somehow." He covers the exposed wires with electrical tape, then proceeded to get into driver's seat. Using Artemis' arrow, he finishes the job by breaking the locking mechanism on the steering wheel. "Alright, where to?"

"Delphi, of course! Did you not hear me the first time?"

Without hesitation, Tsukito steps on the accelerator and drives off.

* * *

Tsukito rushed to Delphi as quickly as he could. The roads on the way there were conveniently empty for the most part. No wonder he was able to speed this far without getting caught. Traffic laws be damned.

Suddenly, the car began to slow down, only managing another few hundred feet in the road before it sputtered to a complete stop.

"Oh no. No no no no no." Tsukito muttered to himself before smacking his hands against the steering wheel in defeat.

"What happened?"

"Either it's run out of gas or broke down completely. I'm not sure which." Tsukito replied. He internally berates himself for choosing the most run-down car to steal. "How long more do we have?"

"About another hour drive, I think." Artemis leans back into the seat, sighing in exhasperation, "Great, we're stranded. What now?"

Tsukito gets out of the car, "I could try running there."

Artemis scoffed, "You're skinnier than uncooked spaghetti. There's no way you could make it."

"Well, do you have any other ideas?"

"No..." Artemis buried her face in her hands, "We're done. There's nothing we can do."

"You're a goddess, can't you do something?"

"Once Apollon goes on a rampage, not even I can stop him."

"Alright, what about Zeus then?" Tsukito suggested.

Artemis rolled her eyes, "Do you think that deadbeat would give a rat's ass? Apollon's doing the dirty work for him as far as he's concerned."

"Well, there must be something we can do." Tsukito said, his usually dull, vacant eyes so full of determination. "I'm not giving up on him. Not now."

Suddenly, a neigh could be heard in the distance. Just in the nick of time, the pegasus lands on the ground right in front of Tsukito with Dionysus in tow, "Need a ride?"

"Yes, very much needed."

Dionysus held out his hand to Tsukito, helping him up, "Great, because we need to stop Apollon before he wipes out all of Delphi."

"Are you coming?" Tsukito asked Artemis.

She shook her head, "I'll catch up with you later. Go stop my idiot brother."

Tsukito nodded, "I can't guarantee anything, but I'll do my best."

Next thing he knew, the pegasus took off into the air, leaving Artemis alone in the middle of the road.

"Good luck." She whispered as she watched Tsukito fly off into the distance.

* * *

"So remind me again why Apollon wants to wipe Delphi off the map?"

"He was pretty heartbroken after you left. Not that this is your fault or anything. I'm sure you had your reasons." Dionysus sighed, "This is Apollon's problem. He almost always let his emotions control him and he ends up doing some really reckless shit that he almost always ends up regretting later."

Things were worse in Delphi than Tsukito thought. The setting sun painted the sky a horrifying red color. A strange black mist loomed ominously over the town. Whatever it was, Tsukito did not have a good feeling about it.

"Oh shit..."

"Are we too late?" Tsukito asked.

"Good news: you're not too late. It would take an entire night to take out the entire town, so if you can find Apollon in time, you can try to convince him to undo this and heal everybody."

"What's the bad news?"

"Apollon can probably accelerate the effects of his plague so I can't guarantee you have until the next morning to stop him. Also you might get infected too, if you were to go in there."

"Is...is that supposed to scare me?"

Dionysus shook his head, "Nope. But I'm not sure if the fact that you are willing to go into a plague-infected town despite the repercussions impresses me or scares me."

He dropped Tsukito off at the entrance of the town, "This is as far as I can take you. Everything is up to you now."

"I'd prefer if you didn't say that. It's going to put me under pressure even more."

"No way. I know you can do it." Dionysus said, reaching down to give Tsukito a hard pat on the back. "I believe in you...and as much as Arte does not wanna admit it, she believes in you too. You're the one Apollon needs right now."

Tsukito smiled and nodded, understanding the mission he had been given. Taking a deep breath, he runs into the town. He certainly wasn't prepared for what he was coming back to. Several people were passed out in the street, hopefully not dead. People were crowded at the doors of the clinic, desperately begging for answers about their sudden illness. And they're all going to be dead by the next morning, as far as Tsukito can imagine.

"Apollon, what did you do?"

Suddenly, Tsukito began coughing violently. It was hard to breathe in between coughing fits that just kept on coming. He covered his mouth with his hand and when he finally stopped coughing, he gasps when he saw the blood in his hand. Tsukito pulled up his shirt to cover his mouth and nose, as if that would help somehow.

He had to stop Apollon and fast. Preferably before he dies along with every other citizen in Delphi. But how was he going to find Apollon like this?

Tsukito makes his way towards the Temple of Apollo and thought carefully. He remembered during the Trojan War, Apollon spread plague by shooting arrows into the camp. If that were the case here, then he must be up somewhere elevated.

Tsukito desperately looks around the surrounding mountains, sighing in relief when he finds a golden light on top of one of the peaks. "Found you."

His heart pounding against his chest as he desperately ran to where Apollon was. It wasn't exactly easy with the steep, rocky terrain, but he couldn't afford to let that hinder him. He could barely breathe, but he wasn't sure if that was the plague's fault or just his anxiety taking over.

What if he didn't make it in time? What was going to happen when Apollon realizes he repeated his mistakes? Would Tsukito even be there to help him recover from that? What if Apollon couldn't recover and he just lived in despair for all eternity?

Tsukito shook his head. As terrified as he was about facing Apollon, this was no time to start having second thoughts. As long as he's alive, he will stop Apollon no matter what..

Before he knew it, he could see the golden light shining even brighter. He was almost there. By the time he managed to reach Apollon, he could feel his weak legs shake to the point they couldn't support his weight anymore. He slumped to the ground, exhausted and trying to catch his breath. But as he did so, it triggered even more coughing. His fingers were sticky as the blood he coughed up dripped through them.

He looked up and his eyes widened when he saw Apollon. He watched as the sun god summoned a black arrow out of thin air and pulled his bow back.

Tsukito's body moved on its own, despite the fact that it hurt all over from the strain he put on it. In a panic, he rushed to put himself in the way of the arrow, "Apollon, don't!"

Apollon's eyes widened, "Tsuki-Tsuki...you came back?"

"Apollon, please don't do this."

Apollon's look of surprise quickly turned to anger and hatred, "No! You betrayed me!"

"I know, I did. But that doesn't mean you can do this." Tsukito said, "Do you really want a repeat of the mistakes you made in the Trojan War?"

Apollon laughs bitterly, "That doesn't really matter anymore, now does it? I thought you were different, but I was stupid to think that. You said I meant nothing to you. You mean to tell me that you've been lying to me ever since we met? All that time we spent together meant absolutely nothing to you? Artemis was right. I shouldn't have blindly trusted you in the first place."

"I'm sorry. I know I said awful things to you and I know you'll probably never forgive me, but I also know that this isn't what you want-"

"Shut up! What do you know about what I want?" Apollon screamed.

"Because I've seen it! When you told me you didn't want to hurt anyone again, when you said you want to redeem yourself, I know you were being genuine. Even right now, I still believe you can be a better person. It's not too late Apollon. No matter what, I won't let you make the same mistakes again, so..." Tsukito spreads his arms out, "You either put the arrow down or you shoot me. Your decision."

"What are you doing? Get out of the way!" Apollon's anger began to falter. His hands shook as he was holding back the urge to cry.

"No!" Tsukito refused, "I understand if you're upset, but please don't take it out on all those innocent people. They didn't do anything wrong. I was the one who betrayed you. Take it out on me. I...I deserve it."

Apollon's fingers twitched on the bow string, unsure of what to do, "Why are you making this so hard?"

Tsukito closed his eyes and smiled, completely accepting the fact that he was might have sacrifice his life to save these people and Apollon. At the very least...he'll be able to live with Takeru again. Apollon could grant him that. He took a deep breath, completely prepared for the arrow to pierce his chest and end this quickly. "I'm sorry..."

...But it never came.

Tsukito cracked an eye open when he heard something clattering on the ground. Apollon had dropped his bow and arrow.

"Huh?"

Apollon fell to his knees, "No...no!"

Tsukito just stood there, at a loss on what to do, "Apollon..?"

The sun god just bursts into tears then and there, "I can't...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry, Tsuki-Tsuki..."

For a moment, Tsukito just watched Apollon cry pitifully like a child. He crouched down to this knees and hesitantly wrapped his arms around him, holding him close, "I know...I'm sorry too." He tried to hold back tears. He didn't want to make this moment about him.

He felt Apollon snake his arms around his waist tightly. Tsukito's body relaxed in the sun god's grasp. Being held like this by him...he just feels like this is how should be. It just felt so right. But Tsukito was the one that hurt Apollon. He's not entirely sure if he deserves this. Tsukito cradled Apollon's face in his hands, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.

Apollon continued sobbing, barely able to form a coherent sentence, "I'm so sorry, Tsuki-Tsuki, I'm so selfish. Now look what I've done..."

"It's okay, it's not too late." Tsukito reached for Apollon's bow, "Let's end this together, alright?"

Apollon nodded, "Okay." He said, still hiccuping from crying so hard.

Tsukito took Apollon by the hand and pulled him up. He held out his bow to Apollon, giving him a patient smile.

Apollon took a deep breath, picking up the black arrow he had dropped. With a bright flash of light, he turned it into a golden arrow right before Tsukito's eyes. He then took the bow from Tsukito and put the arrow on it before pulling the string back. As he aimed it towards Delphi, he felt Tsukito's hands on top of his, as if helping him shoot. They look at each other for a moment, gazing into each other's eyes.

"You're not scared, are you?" Tsukito asked.

Apollon shook his head, "Mmhm, no...you're here with me. I'll be fine."

Without wasting another second, they both let go of the string and watched the arrow fly into Delphi. It disappeared into the sky for a moment, then suddenly a shower of golden arrows rained upon the town. The strange black cloud seemed to dissipate in an instant.

"There, that should probably heal everyone at once." Apollon said. He heard a dull thud on the ground and turned around, "Tsuki-Tsuki?!"

"Shhh, I'm tired. You have no idea how much I had to run to get here. My body hurts all over."

"Then let me heal you!"

"I would appreciate that, thank you."

Apollon laid his hand on Tsukito's chest. That familiar warmth spread throughout Tsukito's body, alleviating any traces of pain. "There, better? Does that feel better?"

"Yes, much." Tsukito said, "Lie with me? We have a lot to talk about."

"Okay, since you really love the ground so much." Taking up on Tsukito's offer, he laid down on the ground beside him. They laid in silence for a while, watching the sky as the sunset made its course and turned a dark navy blue.

After a while, Apollon was the first to break the silence, "So, what's next for you?"

"What do you mean?" Tsukito asked.

"Where are you going to go? You can't stay in Delphi, right?" Apollon said, "I really love you, Tsuki-Tsuki. I really do, but I can't make this about me anymore. If you really love someone, you have to let them go. That's how it goes, right?"

"...but if they come back, they're meant to be yours."

Apollon laughs, "You're joking, right?"

"Nope. I decided I want to stay here." Tsukito said, "I've had a few days to...think about some things and sort out some feelings, I suppose. Hmm...where do I start? Oh, I saw my brother again."

Apollon tilts his head in confusion, "What...? But I thought you said he was dead."

"He is. I may or may not have fallen into the Underworld yesterday and I found him there. Hades is your uncle, yes?"

"Eh?! You met Uncle Hades? How did he let you out?" Apollon asked, seeming genuinely surprised.

"Hades seems quite scary, but he is actually quite nice...surprisingly." Tsukito replied, "And I came to find out that my brother is married to him, so that probably plays a role in me getting out."

"Your brother is married to my uncle...?" Apollon's eyes slowly widened as he realized, "OH! That's your brother? Take-Take is your brother?"

Tsukito raised an eyebrow, "You've met him?"

"I have, a few times, but I can't believe it took me so long to realize that was your brother!" Apollon said, "I'm sorry, if I had known, I would've told you sooner."

"It's fine. Don't beat yourself up over it. I'm just really happy to see him one last time." Tsukito smiled, looking up towards the darkening sky, "He told me to just live my life the way I want to and try be happy. It's going to take a while for me to move on, but I've already decided that's what I'm going to do. Starting with you."

"What do you mean by that?" Apollon asked.

"Remember when we first met, you confessed your love to me out of the blue?" Tsukito said, "Is it...too late to take up on that offer?"

Apollon suddenly sat up, his eyes widening. "Do you really mean that? Do you, Tsuki-Tsuki?"

"Hey, I've had time to think about it...all that time I spent with you. I don't know how, but I supposed I must've fallen in love with you sometime along the way. I think you really have a way of growing on people." Tsukito rolled over on his side and sat up, "Apollon, ever since my brother passed away, I just felt so lost and alone. But then you came into my life...and to be honest, I'm really happy that you did. You really live up to your name as the god of the sun. Every time I was with you, I felt like you were like my sun."

He turned to look at Apollon to see he had tears streaming from his eyes again, "Oh no, did I say something wrong?"

Apollon sniffled, wiping away the tears from his face, "No no, you didn't say anything...I'm just...really happy to hear that. It's the first time anyone has said that to me."

"What are you talking about?" Tsukito asked.

"I am the god of the sun. I am also the god of prophesies. All my life, people everywhere would come flocking to me. But that was because they wanted my gifts. Even though I was constantly surrounded by people who worshipped me, I was just so lonely. But you...you didn't care about any of that. To be honest, sometimes it seemed like you forgot I was a god." Apollon laughs softly at the thought, "I just thought maybe...you'd be the one this time. I know I'm very impulsive and I honestly hate that about myself. I must've scared you when we first met."

"To be completely honest, you did."

Apollon laughs sheepishly, "Sorry. I'm sorry. But you know, I'm actually glad you turned me down the first time. I didn't know you, or what you've been through, or even how much you were suffering on the inside. I wasn't thinking of you at all. I was only thinking of myself and this idealized version of you I had. But know now, you have your weaknesses and you've suffered a lot too. You're not perfect. But I never stopped loving you despite that. Even if you didn't feel the same way, I would've been okay with that. When you were with me, I seem to forget I was ever alone. I can't thank you enough for that."

Tsukito's eyes locked on to the ground, unable to look at Apollon, "I...I didn't do anything, really."

"No...you've done so much for me. You saved me in a way, Tsuki-Tsuki."

"Then...I'm sorry I kept you waiting." Tsukito said, "I promise I will make sure you never feel lonely again."

Suddenly, Tsukito felt himself being lifted off the ground, "Whoa, what are you doing?"

Apollon giggles, gently pressing his forehead against Tsukito's, "Do you want to live with me on Mt. Olympus?"

"Is it okay for me?" Tsukito asked.

"I can probably find some loopholes if I beg Zeus enough." Apollon replied, "You don't have anywhere else to go, right? Come on, let's go."

* * *

Apollon could not keep his hands off of Tsukito when they returned to his realm. Not that Tsukito was particularly complaining. To be completely honest...Tsukito was quite eager, but he wasn't as bold about it was Apollon was.

Apollon carried Tsukito to the bedroom and practically threw him onto the bed. He grabbed onto Tsukito's wrists, pinning him against the bed as he leaned down to kiss him. This time, the both of them took the moment to relish in it. Their lips melded together perfectly like they were only made for each other.

Apollon's hands tugged at Tsukito's shirt. They stopped kissing for a moment, "Is...is this okay?" Apollon asked shyly.

"Yes, it's fine." Tsukito murmured, "I trust you."

Apollon proceeded to pull Tsukito's shirt off, his pants following not long after. Apollon couldn't help but laugh, "Bunny pattern? Seriously?"

Tsukito pouted, clearly not appreciating Apollon making fun of his choice of underwear, "Shut up."

Apollon tries to fit in words in between his laughter, "I'm sorry...it's just so cute, yet so like you."

"Well, are you going to take them off or what?"

Apollon just poked him on the forehead, "Bossy."

They begin to kiss once more. Tsukito was so preoccupied, he didn't even notice Apollon had slipped off his underwear and threw it aside onto the floor. It's long gone now.

As Apollon's fingers roamed all around his body, Tsukito could feel warmth spread throughout his entire body with every touch. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he wonders if Apollon could feel it too when he pulled him close.

Tsukito gasps as Apollon began kissing along his jawline, trailing further down to his neck. Apollon lightly sucked on different spots on his neck and shoulders, making even more red marks to accompany the previous ones. But Tsukito didn't care about that. He just didn't want Apollon to stop. His body started to ache with desire. He was so desperate for Apollon's touch.

But he did feel kind of bad that he's making Apollon do everything. Tsukito let his hands touch Apollon's body, his touches gentle but hesitant. It wasn't like he knew what he was doing. He was just trying to remember what Apollon did to him the first time they had sex.

But Apollon seemed to like what he was doing. His little moans encouraged Tsukito to keep going. Tsukito's hands wandered even lower, his fingers brushing against Apollon's already half-hard erection through the thin sheet of cloth wrapped around his waist. He rubbed at the growing bulge through the fabric, feeling it gradually get even harder with his touch. The friction alone was enough to make Apollon's mind go into a haze.

"Tsuki..." He could barely utter Tsukito's name as he let a groan escape his lips.

Tsukito immediately stopped what he was doing, "Sorry, I wanted to make you feel good too. Did you not like it?"

"No, that's not it at all!" Apollon shook his head, "Hold on, let me make this easier for the both of us."

He made quick work of removing the sheet from his waist and threw it onto the floor to join the pile of Tsukito's clothes. Now there was nothing between them.

Tsukito could feel the heat rush to his face as he stared at Apollon's cock. It was now painfully hard and twitching, as if eagerly waiting for him to do something, anything. He nervously reached for it, his fingertips trailing along the shaft. After doing that a few times over, he was feeling confident enough to let his fingers wrap around it.

He carefully watches Apollon's response as he begain to stroke it. His pacing was slow and awkward at first as he was still a little unsure of what he was doing. Apollon rocks his hips slightly, trying to urge Tsukito to stroke him faster. It wasn't hard for Tsukito to pick up on what he wanted, so he complied. He began picking up the pace little by little until he could feel that Apollon's cock was hot and throbbing against his hand.

"Like this?"

Apollon leaned in towards Tsukito, burying his face in the curve of his neck, "Yes...just like that..."

Tsukito shudders as he felt Apollon's ragged, uneven breathing against his neck. He stops his stroking for a moment to tease the tip. His fingers delicately rub at the slit, making leak even more pre-cum all over them. Apollon was quite vocal about his pleasure and doesn't even make any effort to supress any and all noises coming from his mouth. The sound of Apollon's panting combined with the slick, wet noises certainly did not help Tsukito's slowly cracking composure.

"If you keep doing that, I'm gonna..."

But Tsukito didn't stop. Rather, he quickened the pace of his strokes until Apollon finally came. He could feel Apollon's body spasm slightly as his cock spilled its thick white cum all over his hand. After he removed his hand, Tsukito just stared blankly at the sticky white mess all over it. Apollon came a lot, he noticed.

Apollon's face flushed a deep red at the sight, "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" He took hold of Tsukito's soiled hand. "Here, I'll clean it up."

Tsukito just quietly watched as Apollon's tongue lapped at his fingers, licking them completely clean of his cum. Apollon then kissed each of his fingers before trailing kisses along his arm.

"That was so good...you're so good."

"You're still hard, though." Tsukito says bluntly.

Apollon laughs softly, "I haven't done anything to you yet, of course I won't be satisfied with just that." He gently kisses Tsukito's forehead, "It's my turn now. I'll take very good care of you, okay?"

Tsukito hums in contentment as he wraps his arms around Apollon's neck, "I know you will...if I remember anything from our last experience."

But they both knew that this was nothing like last time. This wasn't a casual one night stand.

Apollon let Tsukito pull him down lower before capturing each other's lips into another heated kiss. For a moment, it felt like time had stopped. Nothing else mattered but each other.

Tsukito moans as he felt Apollon's hands on his body again, but any noise he made was stifled by the sun god's lips. Apollon's hands slowly traced along Tsukito's chest, his stomach, and finally his thighs. He had to make sure he had every detail of Tsukito's body committed to memory.

Their lips part, both of them gasping for air. Apollon gazed at Tsukito lovingly, his eyes held nothing but pure adoration for him. The sight of Tsukito underneath him right now took his breath away. Tsukito's face was flushed and his amber eyes were half lidded, but still looking up at him tenderly. The moonlight filtering through the window seemed to give his pale skin a certain glow.

Apollon wants this image burned into his mind for the rest of his life.

He brushed Tsukito's lilac hair out of the way before kissing all over his face. "You're so beautiful, Tsukito...so beautiful..." He murmured.

All this praise and the way Apollon was so lovingly calling him by name made Tsukito's heart flutter. He doesn't know how much more of this he could take, but he absolutely loved it. Though, he would never tell Apollon this out loud.

Apollon moves down lower to playfully nip at Tsukito's collarbone, feeling the latter's body jump in response. He keeps doing that all the way down until he reaches Tsukito's nipples. Apollon's tongue teasingly traced around one of them before he closed his mouth around it to suck on it. He rolled the other one between his fingers, relishing in every little moan and whine that came out of Tsukito's mouth. Apollon then moved on to suck on the other nipple, making sure to give it just as much treatment as the other one. Tsukito's back arched off the bed as he tangled his fingers in Apollon's hair. The sun god hissed at the feeling of Tsukito harshly pulling at his hair, but it wasn't like he disliked it. Rather, it got him even more excited.

It was such a delight to see Tsukito writhe underneath him. He would very much like to tease him like this forever, but he knows the both of them probably can't hold out for much longer.

Apollon abruptly stops after deciding he has had enough of teasing Tsukito. He reached over to grab a small bottle off the bedside table.

"You're okay if I do this, right? Right?" Apollon asked.

Tsukito nodded, "We've already done this once before. I can handle it."

"Okay. I'll...I'll try to be careful."

He senses Tsukito's eagerness and tries to cover his fingers in lube as fast as he could. He kissed Tsukito's cheek and intertwined their fingers together as his other hand reached down towards Tsukito's entrance. Tsukito's breath hitched when he felt Apollon insert a finger into him. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to be in any pain so far...or any discomfort, really. So Apollon went ahead and eased in two more fingers. He notices how Tsukito's grip on his hand tightened just a bit and how his body shifts slightly. Apollon reminds himself to go a bit easier on him. Making this as painless as he can for Tsukito was his top priority right now.

He began moving his fingers little by little, until he was absolutely sure Tsukito had adjusted well enough for him to pick up the pace a little. He kissed Tsukito tenderly on the lips, hoping it would take his mind off of any pain he might be feeling. He kept at this for a while until Tsukito pulled his lips away to speak.

"No more..." He whispered, "I want you inside me...please."

Apollon slowly removed his fingers, "Alright, if you're so sure."

He gives his cock a few hard, fast strokes. He was focusing all his attention on Tsukito that he was just realizing now how much it's been aching all this time.

Tsukito lets out a choked sob as Apollon slowly enters him. He thought he would get used to the feeling seeing as he did this before, but instead it was still just as painful. Apollon stops when he's halfway in just to give Tsukito time to adjust. He knew damn well that this was supposed to hurt at first, but he couldn't help but panic a little inside when he saw the discomfort Tsukito was obviously in. Apparently Tsukito was able to guess exactly what he was thinking because the minute Apollon was beginning to have second thoughts, he wraps his legs around Apollon's waist, giving no other choice but to enter him completely.

"You know I'm not made of glass, right?" Tsukito said.

"Sorry..." Apollon leans forward to gently press his forehead against Tsukito's, "I still feel sort of bad about being so rough with you the first time."

"Don't be..." Tsukito lowers his voice, "And don't hold back. All the love you have for me, I want to feel it all."

That line alone seemed to be the breaking point for Apollon. He rocked his hips slowly at first and then gradually set a more vigorous pace. Tsukito's cries echoed throughtout the room as he felt Apollon's cock inside him, relentlessly prodding at his prostate and stretching him in all the right ways. He was in absolute bliss. His mind couldn't form coherent thoughts at this point. The only thing on it right now was Apollon.

Apollon groans loudly as he was enveloped in Tsukito's tight heat. It was making him feel dizzy with pleasure and he wanted more of it. And he wanted to hear his beloved Tsukito scream his name.

Tsukito begins to notice Apollon's thrusts were becoming more erratic. He was starting to sense he was almost at his limit. He was too and Apollon somehow just knew. Apollon reached for Tsukito's neglected cock and began to stroke it in time with his thrusts, bringing Tsukito closer to the release he so desperately needed.

"A..Apollon...ah!" Tsukito struggled to call out as he came. His body trembled uncontrollably through as a euphoric feeling washed over him.

Apollon found the sight of Tsukito's orgasm so beautiful, it was enough to finally send him over the edge. He released deep inside of Tsukito, continuing to thrust into him until he had completely emptied himself. He takes a few moments to catch his breath before pulling himself out of Tsukito. Exhausted, he lets himself drop onto the bed next to him.

Tsukito moves his hand over little by little until it makes contact with Apollon's hand. He feels it twitch for a split second before he locks their fingers together. Apollon, of course, returns the gesture, grasping Tsukito's hand tightly. He felt like he never wanted to let go of it.

"Apollon? Can I ask you something?"

"Yes? What is it?"

Tsukito hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you truly love me?"

"Of course I do!" Apollon answered without missing a beat. Tsukito couldn't help but smile. It was nice to know Apollon's so certain about it.

"Then what's going to happen to us?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know why I tried to distance myself? You're a god. I just thought...you would eventually get tired of me."

"Tsuki-Tsuki, what are you talking about? My heart is overflowing with so much love for you, I feel like it might burst. I would never, ever get tired of you. I want to be with you forever." Apollon reached over to caress Tsukito's cheek. Tsukito couldn't help but instinctively lean into his touch.

"Yes, I know that now, but that doesn't change enything. You have forever, I don't. I'm going to die eventually and I'm scared to think about what'll happen to you when I do. I don't want to cause you pain, Apollon. Not again."

Apollon didn't respond. He just kept gazing at Tsukito with a gentle smile on his face.

"Why are you smiling? Did you not hear what I just said?"

"No, I heard you. I heard you loud and clear. I just don't want to worry about that right now and you shouldn't either. We'll figure something out, but for now, all that matters is that we're here together. That's more than enough for me." Apollon said.

"It's not very reassuring when you put it like that." Tsukito replied, "By the way, when I said you didn't mean anything to me...I still feel so terrible about it. I was so confused, but that's no excuse. I'm so sorry, Apollon, for hurting you like that."

Apollon planted a gentle kiss on Tsukito's forehead, "It's okay. I forgive you. I know you didn't mean it. Besides, it's my fault I lashed out like that and nearly killed off all of Delphi."

"But I'm the reason you did that in the first pla-"

"Shhh, no more. Just rest for now. We've both been through a lot." He pulled a blanket over Tsukito's naked body, making sure to wrap him up tightly, "There. Nice and cozy?"

"I don't see a point. I don't sleep, remember?" Tsukito said, "You need it more than me."

Apollon laughs, "I'm the sun god. I don't get cold, remember?"

"Oh...right. I forgot."

"If you can't sleep then is it okay if you let me cuddle you?" Apollon asked, "You can watch over me while I sleep or something."

"I guess..." Tsukito sighed.

Apollon draped his arm around Tsukito's waist and pulled their bodies close together. Tsukito couldn't resist the urge to snuggle up against Apollon's chest. He could never get enough of Apollon's warmth. He just felt so safe and comfortable in Apollon's embrace, he honestly never wanted to leave it.

The sun god gently pressed a kiss on the top of Tsukito's head, "My adorable Tsuki-Tsuki...I love you so, so much."

"Good night, Apollon...I love you."

With those words resonating in his head, Apollon slowly dozed off to sleep. He looked like a child when he sleeps, Tsukito noticed. So peaceful, yet vulnerable. He couldn't resist the urge to reach over and stroke his hair.

He glanced outside the window. Now that he realizes it, the moon seemed more beautiful than he's ever seen it.

* * *

Apollon woke up the next morning to Tsukito sleeping peacefully in his arms.

Wait...Tsukito has insomnia. He doesn't sleep.

"Tsuki-Tsuki?" Apollon called out his name. "Come oooon, get up!"

He hears giggling. Tsukito's eyes were closed but he wasn't sleeping. He's playing with Apollon.

...Alright, if that's how he wants it.

Apollon will do anything in his power to get Tsukito to open his eyes.

He carefully pries himself off of Tsukito and reached for a pillow. He held it high above his head before swinging it down full force. Tsukito lifts his arm to block it, but still...he refused to open his eyes. Apollon puffs his cheeks as he pouted. Tsukito knows it, but he laughs some more, as if taunting Apollon.

But the sun god wasn't giving up yet, oh no. He had other ideas.

He pulled the blankets off of Tsukito's body. Tsukito didn't even flinch and kept feigning sleep. Apollon giggled mischievously as his fingers gently stroked Tsukito's skin. His body twitched for a split second. Perfect.

Apollon placed both his hands on Tsukito's belly and moved his fingers in a rapid motion. Tsukito tried to stifle any giggles that came from him, but it was to no avail when he burst out laughing and screaming. His body writhed underneath Apollon as he begged him to stop. But Apollon wouldn't relent. Tsukito's laughing fits continued as Apollon's hands tickled his sides. It wasn't long before the both of them got tired and stopped, but Apollon was satisfied. He finally got Tsukito to open his eyes.

"Hmm, good morning." Tsukito hummed in contentment.

Apollon smiled at Tsukito, gently caressing his cheek, "Good morning, my sunflower."

Tsukito couldn't hold back a laugh at the cheesy nickname, "What, did I get an upgrade from Tsuki-Tsuki now?"

"I'm claiming you as mine, You're the sun's flower, get it?"

"Pffft. You are so ridiculous." Tsukito said as he ran his fingers through Apollon's long silky hair.

Apollon just giggles and taps Tsukito on the nose, "Boop."

Tsukito playfully returns the gesture, "Boop."

Then they both laugh and lovingly nuzzle each other's faces. It was in that moment they both felt like everything was perfect. Just the two of them alone together, finding comfort in each other's presence. Neither of them wanted to get out of bed. They didn't want this moment to end.

Apollon kissed all over Tsukito's face, "S'agapó, Tsukito...s'agapó."

"I know I have a limited knowledge of Greek, but that does not mean you can say something weird and tell me it's a term of endearment."

"Oh no, it means I love you." Apollon laughs, snuggling up against Tsukito's chest, "It feels so good to say it...I just want to say it to you so many times."

Tsukito just pats Apollon's head, "You're too adorable. Too good for this world. I don't deserve you."

"I am far from good, Tsuki-Tsuki. I should be saying that to you."

"Hey, hey, remember what we talked about. You were far from good _back then_. Now, you've changed...and you're still changing. You've grown into a kind person, Apollon. I want you to be proud of that."

"Even though I was so close to becoming that person again?" Apollon asked, "Tsuki-Tsuki, I was going to shoot you. When you stood in front of me, I was actually considering putting that arrow in your chest...I wanted to force myself to hate you. But that didn't matter...all I could think about was I was about to kill the only person who believed in me...the only person who still cared about me even when he knew what I've done in the past. I would've never forgiven myself."

"But you didn't. I'm still here with you. You're holding me right now."

"I know. I'm very happy right now...but I just feel like you might disappear again. I don't think...I can handle being left alone again." Apollon said, "I'm sorry, I'm so needy and selfish."

Tsukito gently kissed Apollon's forehead, "That's okay. Just know that I didn't decide to stay with you out of pity. My feelings for you are real and are mine alone."

"Yeah...thank you for putting up with me."

"Do you feel better now? We should probably get out of bed."

Apollon just tightened his hold on Tsukito's waist, "Can we stay like this a little while longer? Can we?"

"...I guess." Tsukito sighed. It wasn't like he was in a hurry or anything. And he found that cuddling with Apollon like this was probably his new favorite thing.

Unfortunately, this moment of intimacy was cut short by a knock on the door, "Apollon, are you in there?"

They both jumped, startled by the sudden noise. They quickly scrambled out of bed and struggled to put back on their discarded clothes. But they couldn't get completely dressed fast enough as the door opened.

Artemis just stood there, seeming completely unfazed at the fact that Tsukito was still half-dressed, "Well, you two losers clearly had fun last night..."

"Not even a 'good morning', Artemis?" Apollon said, mildly irritated.

"Bro...it's noon." Artemis replied bluntly, rolling her eyes.

Tsukito raised his eyebrows. They were in bed that long?

Sighing in exasperation, Apollon asks, "What's up this time?"

"Zeus would like to see you."

Apollon groans, "Again?"

"Oh, and he said bring Tsukito too." Artemis added.

In that moment, both Apollon and Tsukito's faces flushed pale.

* * *

It was a quiet morning in Delphi.

"Excuse me."

The innkeeper looked up from her paperwork to see a tall, dark-skinned man with white hair and an icy blue gaze.

"Ah yes, how may I help you?" She greets the man kindly.

"I'm looking for someone. I was wondering if you might've seen him before." The man said in perfectly fluent Greek. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a photograph.

The photograph was of a young man with lavender hair and a perpetually bored expression on his face. It didn't take long for the innkeeper to recognize him. That face was still fresh in her memory.

"Ah, yes! I remember him. He came to stay here for a month."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"He checked out about five days ago, I think..." The innkeeper thought for a moment, "But I think I saw him around yesterday...which is strange. I can barely remember what happened yesterday, but somehow I definitely remember seeing him."

"What can you tell me about him?" The man asked.

"Well, he keeps to himself a lot. But sometimes he'd play the violin in the streets. All the children here love it." The innkeeper explained, "He was always going to the Temple of Apollo...I told him about it when he first came here and I guess he seems to like that place."

"Anything else you can tell me?"

"Uhm...oh yes! He's always with this other young man. They seemed to be close friends...or perhaps something more, but I wouldn't know."

"Can you describe this man to me?"

"Tall, with blond hair and green eyes. Quite handsome, but very cheery and hyperactive."

The man nodded, quickly writing all this information down in a small notebook, "Thank you. This will help us a lot."

"I'm glad I can help." The innkeeper said, but the man was already gone.

* * *

"This is a nice town...I can see why Tsukito would love this kind of place." There was the sound of footsteps, "Thoth, did you get anything?"

"He stayed here in Delphi for a month. The last time he was seen here was yesterday." Thoth said, "And he's always hanging out with this other man but it doesn't sound like anyone he knows."

"Then he still has to be here somewhere!" The other man said, "I'm sorry for dragging you all over the place..."

"I tour around the world anyway, it's no big deal. I might as well find my imbecile student while I'm at it." Thoth let out a sigh, "Don't worry, Akira, we're going to find him."

* * *

 **Holy fuck I'm so sorry I took so long (writing smut scenes is hard, yo)**

 **Buuuut, given that this is over 8400 words, I hope it's goddamn worth it.**

 **Was it necessary for Tsukito to go Grand Theft Auto and steal a car? Probably not. Did I have him do it anyway because Tsukito doing morally questionable things is hilarious to me? Hell yea.**


End file.
